Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Radiant Destiny
by SkyRider Reborn
Summary: Set 4 years after Dan and the Brawlers managed to save Bakugan City from Mechtanius Destroyer. The Battle Brawlers have finally retired, letting their younger generation take over from where they left off. But when a new foe rises, much stronger than anyone the brawlers have ever encountered, will they get out of retirement, or will the new generation handle the threat?
1. The Battle Begins

**Despite all odds, I've come here to write up an awesome Bakugan fanfic! Bakugan: Battle Brawlers was practically the whole reason I planned to write this, but if anyone can disagree with me on this, New Vestroia was practically the last of the whole show's awesomeness, and the rest were quite... Well, I can't really say crap because I'd probably get beaten up by a lot of negative reviews, so I'd just say not as awesome as the first two, although I actually enjoyed them. So, without further ado, I give you(heh, that rhymes! It's a joke. Some people just don't get a good joke)... Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Radiant Destiny!**

**Chapter 1: The Battle Begins**

Theodore sat in his medium sized room, watching the current Bakugan battle on his laptop screen. It was a must for him to watch Bakugan battles on a Saturday afternoon, but it was also a must to keep his room as messy as possible, something his Mother couldn't live with. He had messy chestnut hair that spiked to the left with emerald green eyes. He wore his occasional blue leather jacket, a plain black t-shirt, white slightly skinny jeans and a pair of blue sneakers with white streaks on the side. A pair of red ringed goggles hung around his neck. Slotting his headphones into his ears, he listened to the never-ending sound of the announcer babbling on about the battlers before the battle took off. Apparently, today's battle was between some raven haired girl named Dianne and some hotshot beginner name Sebastian. From the information he'd gained from the announcer, Dianne was a Pyrus brawler and Sebastian was a Subterra brawler.

_"And the battle takes off, with Dianne throwing in her Pyrus Griffon while Sebastian start's off strong with his guardian bakugan Subterra Alphus!"_

_Subterra Alphus was a gigantic golem similar to Subterra Gorem, except his armor was more modern, the shield was more square shaped and the hammer was replaced with a gigantic greatsword, that rested by his side. His arms were much bulkier and was about three-quarters of Gorem's size. _

_Griffon: 550 Alphus: 700_

'Hmm, I wonder why she's even using a Griffon against a guardian bakugan' Theodore thought as he watched the battle. 'If there's anything I've learnt about going up against guardian bakugan with ordinary bakugan, it's that you will lose unless you're very skilled. Maybe it's her tactic or something similar.'

_Griffon took off from the ground and circled around Alphus from the air. "Ability Activate! Fire Tornado!" shouted Dianne. Slowly, flames began to consume Griffon, before it's whole body was covered in flames that formed a tornado round it. Griffon then dived down towards Alphus at full speed. _

_Griffon: 650 Alphus: 600_

_"You think that a difference of 50Gs is going to stop me and Alphus?" Sebastian said, pulling out an ability card. "Ability Activate! Boulder Bash!" Alphus was surrounded by a light brown aura that acted as a shield as Griffon dived down, easily cancelling out it's attack. _

_"Now that's what I'm taking about. There's no way you're going to defeat me that easily!" Alphus roared. _

_Griffon: 600 Alphus: 700_

_"And you think a 100G difference is going to stop me and Griffon? Ability Activate! Wing Burst!" Tendrils of fire emerged from Griffon's wings, before raining down on Alphus. Unable to dodge the attacks, Alphus tried to use his shield to block the attacks, all to no avail. _

_Griffon: 700 Alphus: 600_

_"And now for the finishing touch. Double Ability Activate, Wing Burst plus Fire Tornado!" Griffon was engulfed in a fire tornado, and tendrils were forming out of his wings, but instead of shooting down at Alphus, they formed round Griffon as he dived down at Alphus. _

_"A double ability already? It seems as though this battle has already been decided" the announcer's voice boomed out of the speakers. _

_Sebastian smiled. "Just because you're using a double ability doesn't mean that you're going to win. I've been waiting for this moment." Sebastian pulled out an ability card and slotted it into his gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Sonic Slash!" _

_"Finally! Now we're talking" Alphus said, pulling out his sword which was now covered in a fierce light brown aura. The fire that was shielding Griffon slowly began to fade away, until there was nothing left. _

_Griffon: 500 Alphus: 900_

_"What the what? How is that even possible?!" Dianne asked, unaware of the strange ability card._

_"Let me explain. Sonic Slash is an ability that adds 300Gs to Alphus and depletes the same amount of Gs from you bakugan" Sebastian said matter-of-factly. "In the process, it also nullifies your ability. And now for the finish touch... Ability Activate! Elemental Undergound!" Alphus leapt off the ground, pulling his sword behind him as he readied himself for the final blow. _

_Griffon: 500 Alphus: 1100_

_"Damn it! I have to do something or else I'll end up losing my Griffon. Ability Activate..." Dianne began to say, but was cut off as Alphus drove his sword into Griffon's chest. Griffon began to glow red, before returning into it's ball form and landing at Sebastian's feet._

_Griffon: 500(K.O.) Alphus: 1100_

_'Dianne life force 0 percent. Winner, Sebastian' the gauntlet sounded. _

_Alphus let out a mighty roar before glowing brown and returning to it's ball form and returning to Sebastian. "It's all over! After a stunning display of creativeness and strategy, Sebastian has emerged victorious from the battle, along with taking Dianne's Griffon" the announcer spoke. "If Sebastian continues his victorious run, he and Alphus are going to make it to the top ten rankings in no time!"_

"Beginner's luck" Theodore said as he finished the battle. Obviously, Dianne's tactics hadn't gone as planned. He'd watched a few of her battles some weeks ago, and from what he'd discovered, she used weaker bakugan to study his opponent before sending out her guardian bakugan, Pyrus Starlight. Theodore used the same tactic, except his bakugan were never defeated, and he didn't exactly have a guardian bakugan. Having nothing better to do, he scrolled down the rankings until he reached his name. _Ranking #137_. Although he'd been battling for a few years now and was a skilled brawler, he was surprised how he still had such a low ranking. Probably because he fought most of his battles outside Bakugan Interspace.

He heard something budge behind him, and heard the occasional sound of his door trying to be opened. Luckily, it was being blocked by a bomb of dirty clothes, which were kept there if his Mother ever found his room messy and he needed to escape. He stared at the rest of his room, which was in a much wore state that yesterday, with dirty clothes practically making a carpet round his whole floor with empty packets of noodles lying around.

'Crap! If my mom finds my room in this state, I'm dead. Time for Plan B' he thought, grabbing his bag off the ground and stuffing his laptop inside. He grabbed his bakugan off the desk, and using swift procedures he'd made up incase he was ever to find himself in this situation, he jumped out of the window and rushed as far away from the house as possible. He didn't know how, but in the next few minutes, he found himself at the park. Sitting on a wooden bench, he watched as a few kids traded ability cards somewhere in the middle of the park. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, letting all his troubles away. He felt like he was finally at peace, that is, until he felt a hand nudge his shoulder. Opening up his eyes, a familiar figure entered his field of vision.

"Hey, aren't you Sebastian, the hotshot beginner who beat that Dianne girl earlier today?" Theodore asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you would like a battle" Sebastian said, nervously scratching the back of his head. "There aren't that many people around here that could give me a challenge, and I thought you might want to battle the next #1 ranked brawler."

Theodore smiled. Obviously, Sebastian didn't know who he was talking to. "Fine, I'll battle you. That is, if you can keep up." Theodore pulled out his green and white gauntlet along with a black card which had different attribute signs on it. Sebastian did the same, placing his brown and black gauntlet onto his arm and pulling out a card similar to Theodore's.

"Gauntlet Power Strike!" they both yelled as they placed their power cards into their gauntlet. Time around them began to slow down until it was completely frozen.

"OK, I'll start first. Gate card set!" Sebastian said, throwing a faced down Subterra gate card onto the ground. "Bakugan brawl! Go Subterra Alphus!" Subterra Alphus entered the battle with his signature roar.

"Starting strong already, huh? Well, I guess it's what to expect from a beginner with no skill" Theodore muttered under his breath before pulling out a light green bakugan with dark green accents. "Bakugan brawl! Go Ventus Ravenoid!"

Alphus: 700 Ravenoid: 580

"Heh, this is going to be so easy" Alphus laughed.

"Alphus, stay focused. We don't want to lose this battle" Sebastian said, not wanting Alphus to get carried away. "Gate card Open! Subterra Terrain!" The battle field around them began to change as huge rock-like mountains began to appear and the cold concrete beneath them turned into a desert-like wasteland.

Alphus: 900 Ravenoid: 380

"Don't think you're going to win that easily" Theodore said, slotting in a green ability card into his gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Tornado Pandemonium! A gigantic tornado emerged from the ability card, shattering the gate card instantly. "Just because you're strong doesn't mean you're going to win every battle."

Alphus: 700 Ravenoid: 580

"Destroying my gate card with one move? Nice, but we both know who's going to come out victorious" Sebastian smiled. "Ability Activate! Sonic Slash!" Alphus' sword began to glow bright orange as he charged towards Theodore's Ravenoid.

"The battle ends here!" Alphus roared as he swung his sword at Ravenoid.

Alphus: 1000 Ravenoid: 580

"Not on my watch it is. Ability Activate! Immobile!" Ravenoid made duplicates of itself, leaving Alphus wandering around trying to find the real Ravenoid. He had finally defeated all the clones, but the real Ravenoid.

Alphus: 800 Ravenoid: 780

"Hey, where did you go? Come and fight you coward!" Alphus said angrily as he looked around.

"Right behind you! Ability Activate! Wind Resistance!" Ravenoid was concealed in a light green aura, and began striking Alphus in all directions while moving at unimaginable speed. Alphus' G-Power slowly began to decrease my 50Gs.

Alphus: 600 Ravenoid: 980

"Don't think you're going to defeat me that easily" Sebastian yelled angrily. "Ability Activate! Boulder Bash!" Sebastian shouted, but the ability didn't seem to be working, Alphus still taking massive amounts of damage. "What the hell? How come my ability doesn't seem to be working?!"

"Wind Resistance is an ability that not only adds 200Gs to Ravenoid and decreases the same amount to your bakugan, but also stops you from using any of your ability cards for the next two rounds" Theodore smirked. "And now for the finishing touch. Ability Activate! Piercing Storm!" The whole battlefield was engulfed in large tornados, and Ravenoid was covered in a fiery green aura. Letting out a loud cry, it charged forward and struck Alphus in the chest. Alphus, unable to dodge, returned to it's ball form and fell at Sebastian's feet.

Alphus: 600(K.O.) Ravenoid: 1350

_Sebastian life force 40 percent. _

"Are you ready to give up yet, or are you ready to brawl?" Theodore said, a small smile forming on his lips.

"There's no way I'm going to lose to to chump like you! Let's get this battle started already!" Sebastian said, gritting his teeth as he fidgeted with Alphus in his hands.

"Good. There'll be no point if your heart's not into it. Gate card set!" Theodore threw a face down Ventus gate card onto the floor. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Go Ventus Ravenoid!" Ravenoid let out a high pitched cry as it entered the battle.

"We better not lose this one, Alphus. Bakugan brawl! Make this one count Subterra Alphus!" Alphus let out a mighty roar, glaring at Ravenoid as it entered the battlefield.

Alphus: 700 Ravenoid: 580

"I'm not going to lose this next one! Mark my words, you'll pay for defeating me" Alphus said as Sebastian pulled out an ability card and slotted it into his gauntlet.

"Ability Activate! Sonic Slash!" Alphus charged forward, aiming his glowing sword at Ravenoid.

Alphus: 1000 Ravenoid: 280

"I thought you might do that, so I had a little plan formulated just incase. Gate card open! Ventus Barrier!" A green glass-like barrier formed around Ravenoid just before Alphus' attacked had hit. But what suprised Sebastian the most was that the barrier hadn't shattered into a million pieces and won them the battle.

"What?! I was sure that would secure our victory. No matter, we'll just have to use more power if we want to break down that barrier. Alphus, continue attacking." Alphus kept attacking the barrier, hoping to get a few cracks on it, all to no avail.

"Are you done yet, because I'm pretty sure you're going to lose your bakugan if you keep attacking my barrier" Theodore said, getting bored of Sebastian futile attempts to break the barrier.

"What do you mean lose my bakugan? Alphus has a way higher G-Power than your Ravenoid" Sebastian said, saying Ravenoid with disgust.

"Check again."

Sebastian looked down as his gauntlet and was surprised at the result.

Alphus: 450 Ravenoid: 900

"What the hell is going on?! How come Alphus has a lower G-Power than Ravenoid when your bakugan has been doing nothing but hide in that barrier of yours?!"

"The Gate card Ventus Barrier is a special gate card for my Ventus Bakugan. It creates a glass-like barrier that absorbs the power of any attack that is placed onto it and transports all that power into the bakugan inside the barrier." Theodore then pulled out two ability cards and slotted them into his gauntlet. "And now to finish you off for good. Double Ability Activate! Wind Resistance plus Piercing Storm!" Larger tornados appeared on the battlefield as Ravenoid began to glow bright green, but the aura was much fiercer than the first time. Moving at speeds Alphus was unable to dodge against, Ravenoid grabbed Alphus and pulled him up into the air before diving down towards the ground, spinning wildly in an attempt to strength the force of the impact. Once they were nearer to the ground, Ravenoid let go and let Alphus hit the ground with such immense force that it left a crater in the floor.

Alphus: 250(K.O.) Ravenoid: 1170

Alphus glowed brown and moved towards Theodore, easily catching the Subterra bakugan in his hands. Soon after, Ravenoid let out a high pitched victory cry before returning to its ball form and back to Theodore.

_Sebastian life force 0 percent. Winner, Theodore._

Time slowly returned to normal around them. Sebastian fell to his knees, wondering how he'd lost his guardian bakugan to a normal bakugan. He was just about to break out into tears when he felt something roll up next to his hand. Opening his eyes, he turned to see Alphus rolled up next to him. Filled with satisfaction, he turned up to face Theodore.

"W-wait a second. You're not going to t-take my bakugan?" Sebastian asked, curious.

"I'm not that type of guy. And besides, I'm a Ventus brawler. If I took your Subterra bakugan, I'm more likely to give it to some random Subterra brawler" Theodore said to him, his back facing Sebastian. "Furthermore, you need Alphus by your side if you want to become a stronger brawler. You'll never find another guardian bakugan like him." Before Sebastian had any time to congratulate him, Theodore began to walk away towards him home, thoughts about how he was going to be in so much trouble blocking his mind. He almost didn't notice himself walking into his room and falling onto his bed. Unfortunately for him though, he didn't noticed his mom standing behind his bedroom door.

"And just where have you been young man?" she said sternly, knocking him out of his thoughts. "I've been waiting for you for three hours! And didn't I tell you to clean up your room yesterday?!"

"I've been out battling brawlers, mom, like every other normal teenager here in _Bakugan_ City" he said, putting for emphasis on 'Bakugan' to get his point across. "Besides, I'll clean up my room later, right after I get some dinner and a good night's sleep."

"Not in my house you won't. Until I see this room cleaned and spotless, you are not leaving this room. Understand?"

"But mom..."

"Understand?" she said more sternly.

"Fine" Theodore grumbled. He knew very well there was no point in arguing with his mom since she'd win every argument, so he began to clean his room. Although with the state it was currently in, it took him more than planned to clean up his room. By the time he was finished, it was already 11: 35 PM. Not bothering to change into his pajamas, he slumped onto his bed and closed his eyes, letting the toll of sleep overtake him.

Before he even had a few minutes of sleep, he heard the sound of glass cracking from his window. Shooting out from his bed, he looked at the small hole in his window where the glass was broken. It wasn't big enough for a thief to break in. Two options flooded Theodore's mind: either 1) a trained hitman/assassin was trying to kill him, or 2) someone had harshly thrown a bakugan threw his window while trying to win a bet or something similar. Seeing as the first option was less likely to happen, he wildly guessed that it was the second option. He followed the trail of broken glass from his window and traced it towards the middle of his room. He gasped in shock.

Standing right in the middle of the room...

Was a green and black...

_Bakugan!_

**OK, so first things first. How much do you like this fanfic? Review your opinions since this is the first time I have ever written a Bakugan fanfic. Obviously, I had given Ravenoid a few ability cards to make him stronger and upped his G-Power, but that was for a certain reason that will be explained to you or come to you if you carefully read the chapter carefully. Stay tuned, and stay here for Chapter 2 of Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Radiant Destiny!**


	2. Forming Bonds

**OK, Chapter 2's finally up! It took a lot of planning, motivation, and crying myself to sleep to actually get this done. Disclaimer: I do not own Bakugan, only the OC characters in the fanfic, but I'm guessing you already knew that. Before we actually get to this chapter, I want to thank Switch-On-97, my motivation to write this fanfic and my very first reviewer. Hope you enjoy this one…**

**2: Forming Bonds**

The bakugan was green in colour, with black accents that sort of looked like a pattern of flames on it. It was occasionally rare for Theodore to encounter strange bakugan breaking through his window, in this case meaning he'd never been in this situation before. Taking cautious steps, he slowly moved towards the bakugan, keeping close to his lava lamp just in case he needed to use it as a weapon. He had only taken three steps when the bakugan opened up, which startled Theodore enough to knock him off balance, landing on his back.

Getting to his knees, he stared at the strange bakugan. Its ball form seemed to resemble that of Master Ingram, except the body was black and the hair was snow white which spiked up. The strange bakugan also had blue eyes. "I'm going to feel that one in the morning" the strange bakugan spoke, before turning round to see Theodore staring at it, confused. "Of all the places I had to be transported to, it _had _to be in some random kid's room. I doubt you've even seen a guardian bakugan judging by that strange look you're giving me."

"For the record, I've seen lots of guardian bakugan during my battles, but I never expected one to break through my window and invade the only time of sleep I had" Theodore said, before realization struck him in like the back of a hand slapping his head. "My mom's going to kill me when she wakes up tomorrow, which is your entire fault. But I doubt you have the money to pay for this so I'll just let you off the hook for now."

"Classic human paranoia" the bakugan mumbled. "Hey, you don't happen to know where I can find any Ventus brawlers around here. I'm itching for a battle! It's been a while since I've crossed paths with any of the bakugan since most of them are here on the planet you call Earth."

"Gee, I don't know, there are a lot of Ventus brawlers here in Bakugan City, including the guy standing in front of you. But I guess that wouldn't matter to you anyways" Theodore said sarcastically as he rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake. "If you're a Ventus bakugan, then why are you green _and _black? If I'm not mistaken, Ventus bakugan are usually green."

"I'm a hybrid, you idiot, a cross between a Ventus and Darkus bakugan. But since the Darkus attribute is considered to be 'evil', I usually associate myself as a Ventus brawler" the bakugan said, leaping off the ground onto Theodore's desk. "Besides, you didn't answer my question earlier."

Theodore rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Hmm, since most Ventus brawlers are bound to already have a guardian bakugan by now, and I'm the only Ventus brawler I know who doesn't have a guardian bakugan, why don't we team up?" Theodore said triumphantly. "I can almost see it now. Theodore and... er... What's your name again?"

"Sentinel" the bakugan said, short and to the point.

"Theodore and Sentinel, the greatest brawling team of all time" Theodore continued. "So, what do you say? Want to become partners, or whatever they call it?"

"Normally, I'd pick 'whatever', but seeing as I have no other choice, I'll stick with you for now." Sentinel jumped into Theodore's hand before returning to its ball form.

"Now that I think about it, I do have a battle earlier on tomorrow, so it'll be the perfect time to test out my new bakugan" Theodore said to no one in particular. "What do you say, Sentinel? Are you up for the challenge?"

"Please, I was born ready!"

"Now I just need to figure out how to tell my mom how the window broke" Theodore said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

**...**

Theodore walked into Bakugan Interspace, his head phones into his ears as he listened to _Coldplay _on his phone. He was eager to get his battle started and try out Sentinel against his opponent, which he'd figured out was a Pyrus brawler named Amy, but although his battle was only a few minutes away from the current battle, his patience was withering. He watched a few battlers bragging about their rankings, none of which Thedore guessed were as strong as him. He felt Sentinel roll up onto his shoulder.

"So are you ready for the battle? You're going to be going up against a rank 35 brawler, so you might as well bring your A-Game at the start if we want to secure our victory" Theodore said, a small smile forming on his lips.

"What is it with you humans and ranks? Ranks don't decide the fate of the battle, its skill and how well you and your bakugan communicate and fight as a single unit" Sentinel said, a touch of happiness in his voice. "Besides, there's no other bakugan that could defeat me."

"Let's see if you can back up all that talk once we're on the battlefield." The large screen flashed up and his and Amy's faces appeared onto the screen.

"Amy Foster and Theodore James please report to Battle Arena G-30" a robotic voice boomed through the speakers. Theodore didn't need to be told twice, rushing towards the arena as fast as his legs could run. The gates slowly opened, revealing a bright yellow light followed by the shadows of the crowd. The loud chants and applauses filled the arena as he emerged from the gate. He kept his expression blank, not wanting to get all the attention to his head, although he was really excited to have his first battle in what seemed like generations. The girl that was Amy emerged through the gate, waving at her supposed fans as she flashed her smile at the crowd. Amy had pale skin raven hair the fell down to her mid-back. She wore a blue buttoned shirt with short sleeves, a green v-neck sweater, black skinny jeans and purple hi-top sneakers. A red and yellow bakugan sat on her shoulder, doing the exact opposite of what she was doing. They stood on the platforms, ready to brawl at any given moment. Theodore dropped his blank expression and gave a determined smile, while Amy shot him a smug grin.

"Ready to lose, or do you want to keep your dignity and just forfeit the match?" Amy smiled.

"We'll see if you're going to keep talking after I'm through with you" Rat replied.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a breath-taking match live here from Bakugan Interspace. On the left corner, she's not too shabby, but she's one opponent you should never mess with, Amy Foster!" the crowd broke into applause. "And on this corner, it's been a while since we've last seen him battling, but he's a force to be reckoned with... Theodore James!" The crowd applauded as well, but not as much as Amy.

"Battle Style, Forest Combat" the robotic voice sounded. The arena changed from its blank platform to a forest like battlefield, with massive amounts of trees surrounding them and a few boulders here and there.

"Let's make this quick, shall we? Gate card set!" Theodore said, throwing down a face down Ventus gate card, which sent off a green shockwave as it hit the ground. "Bakugan brawl! Ravenoid stand!"

"Sending out a weak bakugan like that? No matter, it still doesn't take out the pride and joy in beating you" Amy said as she grabbed the bakugan off her shoulder and threw it onto the ground. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Light 'em up Pyrus Streak Blazer!"

Pyrus Streak Blazer was a humanoid bakugan similar to Ventus Harpus, except she didn't have any fur, which was replaced by pale light red skin and fiery red eyes. The talons were replaced with normal legs, which were covered in plain white bandages that reached from her ankle to the beginning of her toes. Her hair was jet black and instead of being scruffy, was tied back into a long ponytail that only just touched her shoulders. She wore baggy shorts that were tied round her shin, a yellow tank top with a few cuts, a pair of red fingerless gloves and a crimson headband.

"Now it's my time to shine!" Streak Blazer said happily.

**Ravenoid: 580 Streak Blazer: 750**

"How come you didn't send me out? I could've crushed that little she-beast in a matter of seconds!" Sentinel glared at Theodore.

"You'll get your chance, but now's not the right time to send you in" Theodore said, receiving a slight 'hmph' from Sentinel, which he gladly ignored. "Ability Activate! Immobile!" Theodore said. Clones of Ravenoid appeared and formed a circle around Streak Blazer before charging forward.

"Such petty attacks, although you are a low ranking brawler, so I'll just make things easier for you. Ability Activate! Blazing Fury!" Amy shouted. Streak Blazer's body was concealed in flames, and she spun around almost as fast as lightning, creating a cyclone that destroyed the clones and injured Ravenoid.

"You think you're going to get rid of me that easily? I've faced pebbles stronger than you" Streak Blazer mocked.

**Ravenoid: 450 Streak Blazer: 880**

'Hmm, she's stronger than I thought, meaning that normal attacks wouldn't be able to work against her' Theodore thought as he pulled out an ability card and slotted it into his gauntlet. "Ability Activate... Piercing Storm!" Large tornados appeared round Streak Blazer, Ravenoid's body began to glow a fierce green aura as it charged towards Streak Blazer. Streak Blazer tried to block the attacks, but Ravenoid was just too fast.

**Ravenoid: 620 Streak Blazer: 690 **

"Amy, do something! I'm not going to last long if these attacks keep hitting me!" Streak Blazer said, shooting an angry glare at her partner.

"I'm working on it, Streak. Ability Activate! Poison Fang!"

"Now we're talking!" Streak Blazer shouted as she began to glow bright red. Ravenoid charged forward again, but Streak was ready and managed to dodge the blow, but not before sinking her sharp teeth into Ravenoid's neck. At first, it didn't seem like anything was wrong, but after a while Ravenoid's pace began to slow down, by which Streak Blazer had already gained the upper hand.

"Poison Fang is an ability that nullifies your ability, as well as sending a venomous poison into your Bakugan if it successfully hits, which slowly decreases your bakugan's G-power" Amy said before Theodore could even ask the question. Amy smiled as she realized she had caught her opponent off guard. She smiled as her planned was put into action, slotting her ability card into her gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Ancient Power!" Streak Blazer began glowing red again, much fiercer this time, and pointed her palm out to Ravenoid- who was now on his knees as the poison began working its way through its body- a red bolt of energy forming in her hands.

"Time to finish this!" Streak Blazer said as she released the bolt of fire-like energy, a red blast moving at a rapid speed towards Ravenoid, hoping to finish the battle.

"Gate Card Open! Curtain Call!" Theodore said with a smile just before the attack had hit. Both Streak Blazer and Ravenoid returned to their ball forms and back to their brawlers. "I'm guessing you're shocked that you hadn't won that battle. Curtain Call is a special gate card that resets the current battle, and both bakugan are returned to their brawlers without any harm. A glorious gate card you can use to get out of sticky situations, if I might add."

"I see you're not as easy as I expected you to be. No matter, I'll defeat you all the same." Amy said, throwing a red gate card onto the ground, sending a red shockwave all around the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Show them your true power, Streak!"

Theodore grabbed Sentinel off his shoulder and held him tightly in his hands. "Looks like it's finally time for your debut, partner. Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's see what you're made off Darktus Sentinel!" A green and black flame appeared as Sentinel was thrown onto the battlefield, earning slight gasps from the audience. It wasn't long before Sentinel emerged from the shadows. Sentinel was a humanoid bird-like bakugan that resembled Ingram. He had green fur with patches of black fur on his shoulders, elbows and knees. His wings start off green but became a darker shade before turning black. He has purple eyes and green hair that is spiked to the left.

**Streak Blazer: 750 Sentinel: 700**

"So you finally bring out your guardian bakugan?" Amy said to no one in particular. She was actually glad that her opponent had brought out his guardian bakugan, that way it would make beating him all the more fun. "Ability Activate! Blazing Fury!" Streak Blazer was covered in a flame barrier. She smiled as she charged at Sentinel, wondering how powerful the bakugan actually was.

**Streak Blazer: 850 Sentinel: 600 **

"Let's see how much damage you can do..." Theodore said as he pulled out a black and purple ability card. "Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Sentinel charged up a bolt of purple energy in his palms, and aimed it at Streak Blazer. Arrow-like tendrils shot out of the energy ball, striking Streak Blazer from all sides.

"Is this how battling other bakugan feels like? The feeling is so... _exhilarating_!" Sentinel said proudly.

**Streak Blazer: 690 Sentinel: 860**

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to hit a lady?" Streak shouted angrily, still clutching the spot where Sentinel had hit her.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, I'm no gentleman" Sentinel said with a grim smile, which only angered Streak.

"I'll teach you to mess with me!" Streak retorted.

"Ability Activate! Sonic Blaze!" Amy yelled.

**Streak Blazer: 840 Sentinel: 710**

Streak Blazer's feet and wings were covered in a red aura, and she smiled as she began moving at an incredible speed, hoping to intimidate Sentinel. However, he wasn't even fazed in the slightest, which angered Streak further. She charged angrily at Sentinel, throwing wild punches as she hoped to throw him off his game. Sentinel, however, dodged every blow with ease, before driving his foot underneath hers, sending her to the ground.

"Are you done playing yet, or are we going to fight?" Sentinel said, annoyed with Streak's futile attempts to throw him off his balance.

"Maybe she just needs some motivation. Ability Activate! Undead Power!" Dark clouds slowly appeared in the sky, the roaring thunder silencing the crowd. A bolt of dark lightning shot down from the clouds and struck Sentinel, filling him with more power. He began to glow dark purple.

**Streak Blazer: 840 Sentinel: 1010**

"And now for the final touch… Abiity Activate! Ventus Night!" Thedore smiled mischievously. Darkness blanketed the battlefield, the only sign of light being the faint green and purple glow of Sentinel's swords. Moving at inhuman speed, Sentinel thrust his swords at Streak Blazer, both bakugan's back facing each other.

"That's gonna leave a mark" Streak said faintly as she began to glow bright red and returned to it's ball form, falling at Amy's feet. The Darkness was slowly fading, Sentinel emerging victorious from the battle as he flashed a determined smile before returning to it's ball form, Theodore easily catching the bakugan as he smiled, his plan going smoothly so far.

**Streak Blazer: 840(K.O.) Sentinel: 1210**

_Amy Foster life force, 30 percent._

"What a display of true battling ability! Theodore, against all odds, manages to prevail and gains the lead" the announcer spoke as the crowd broke into applause. "It's going to take more than powerful attacks and fancy combos for Amy to get back in the game!"

Although Amy had lost most of her life force, she smiled, which shocked Theodore because battlers didn't usually smile when they knew they were going to lose. "So that's your tactic, eh? Sending out weak bakugan to watch your opponent battle style before sending out your guardian bakugan to finish the job" Amy said as he held Streak Blazer tightly in her hands. "Just like that Dianne girl in that battle earlier on yesterday. Well, if you didn't watch the battle, you'll know that that tactic doesn't always work. Sooner or later, you'll fall to my knees."

"Talk is cheap when you don't have the skill to back it up" Theodore grinned.

"Let's see how much you talk after I'm through with you!"

"Is that a challenge?" Theodore smirked, but didn't give Amy enough time to answer as he threw down his gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's finish this battle, Darktus Sentinel!" Sentinel appeared the same way he had in the first battle, except the fire was much weaker.

"Now that I've seen how strong your bakugan is, I'm not going to be holding back any more. Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand... Let's win this one, Streak!" Streak Blazer appeared in a blaze of fire, glaring straight at Sentinel.

"I will not allow you to defeat me anymore" Streak Blazer yelled, letting out a piercing scream.

**Sentinel: 700 Streak Blazer: 750 **

"Let's keep that motivation up. Ability Activate! Blazing Fury!" Streak Blazer grinned as she charged towards Sentinel, her body covered in flames.

**Sentinel: 700 Streak Blazer: 880**

"I'm not done yet. Ability Activate! Pyrus Arena!" The land around them burst into flame, Streak Blazer's fiery aura becoming much more fierce. Her figure soon became a blur as she attacked Sentinel from all angles, dealing lots of damage as Sentinel was unable to block her attacks.

**Sentinel: 500 Streak Blazer: 1080**

"Theodore, do something!" Sentinel growled as he clutched his shoulder, not sure how long he could hold in the pain.

"Hang in there, buddy" Theodore said nervously as he pulled out an ability card from his pile. "Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Sentinel generated an energy ball into his hands, but it seemed much weaker this time as the arrow-like tendrils shot out of it.

**Sentinel: 580 Streak Blazer: 1000**

"What? Normally that would add 160Gs to Sentinel and decrease yours by the same amount! No matter, it just means that we need a little boost of energy. Ability Activate... Undead Power!" Dark clouds hovered over the sky and the dark lightning struck Sentinel, boosting up his power, Sentinel now glowing dark purple, although the glow seemed faint.

**Sentinel: 730 Streak Blazer: 850**

"How is it that the G-Power of my abilities seem to be decreasing?" Theodore asked, unsure of how it was even possible to lower the G-Power of an ability card's effect on a bakugan.

"When the Ability Pyrus Arena is activated, it halves the power of any ability that isn't of a Pyrus bakugan, in this case your Darkus bakugan over there" Amy said, answering his question. "Now it's my turn to end the battle. Ability Activate! Poison Fang!" Using her agile skills and quick feet, she sunk her sharp teeth into Sentinel's neck, breaking his armor and sending a slowly killing poison into his body. Satisfied with her work, Streak Blazer flew a few feet away, getting ready for the final blow. Unlike the time with Ravenoid, the poison took immediate effect, slowing down his pace and rendering his unable to move.

**Sentinel: 530 Streak Blazer: 850**

"Ability Activate! Double Ability Activate! Ancient Power plus Sonic Blaze!" Streak Blazer's body began glowing bright red as she created a gigantic ball of fire using both her hands. With one loud cry, she launched it at Sentinel, sending the blast straight through him. Sentinel began to glow a dark purplish green before returning to its ball form and landing at Theodore's feet, the attack dropping his life force to 30 percent. Streak Blazer gave a determined grin before returning to Amy.

"Wonderful! Amy pulls back and gains the lead with a special order of attacks. If this battle continues on like this, I'm not sure who's going to win in the end!" the announcer said.

"I guess I wasn't strong enough to finish the battle. I failed you" Sentinel said, downcast as Theodore picked the bakugan off the ground.

"Don't sweat it. You did good. You held up your ground and showed the signs of a powerful bakugan" Theodore said, trying to brighten up his bakugan's spirits. "Besides, the battle isn't over yet. There's still one more battle left, which means you're going to have to give it your all!" Sentinel let out a low chuckle. Theodore then looked at Amy, who was surprisingly looking at him, smirking. "Looks like I underestimated you. Don't think you're going to win though, there are still a few cards I have left up my sleeve."

"I find that hard to believe" Amy said as she yawned, pretending to be bored.

"Laugh while you can. There's still one battle left, meaning there's still a chance that I can prevail!"

"And there's still a chance that I can win and prove you wrong!" Amy threw down her gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's show them who's the real deal, Streak!"

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Unleash your true power, Sentinel!"

**Streak Blazer: 750 Sentinel: 700**

"Ability Activate! Pyrus Arena!" The battlefield was engulfed in flames just like before.

"If you think that ability's going to stop me? Ability Activate! Tornado Missile!" Theodore shouted. The flames around them slowly died down before the battlefield returned to its normal state, cancelling out the ability. "Now let the real battle begin. Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!"

**Streak Blazer: 600 Sentinel: 850**

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to defeat me. Ability Activate! Dragon's Hammer!" Streak Blazer's hands were covered in a fiery aura. She leapt of the ground and threw a punch at Sentinel, both attacks crashing into each other, creating a gigantic crater in the ground as it shook the battlefield. Both bakugan both jumped away from the attacks, facing each other as they readied themselves.

"Ability Activate! Diamong Edge!" Sentinel's wings became a silver colour, hardening them for use of both defense and attack. Roaring loudly he charged forward, shooting metallic spikes out of his wings.

"Ability Activate! Infinite Blaze!" Streak Blazer let out a piercing battle cry as her body was surrounded in flames. Channeling all the flames into her palms, she shot a gigantic fireball towards the spikes. Both attacks collided into each other and exploded in the middle, creating another large crater in the ground. Both bakugan were panting, likewise their brawlers although they weren't doing the fighting themselves. Theodore run through possible attempts on how to beat Amy, but all of them had the same result: the battle ending in a draw. In short, he had no idea how he was going to beat this girl.

"Hmm, you seem like a pretty good brawler, that much I'll admit to you. But there's no way you're winning this battle!" Amy smiled mischievously. "Gate Card Open! Darkus Barrier!" Sentinel began blowing a dark purple aura, which was then transferred to Streak Blazer. "Darkus Barrier is a gate card that nullifies you from using any of your darkus abilities. How do you like that? Now you can't do anything."

Although Theodore knew he was cornered, he smirked, shocking Amy.

"What are you smiling about? There's no way you can win. It's game over!"

"There's just one little piece of detail you missed out" Theodore said, pulling out three ability cards from his pile and slotting them into his gauntlet. "Although you may have rendered my bakugan's ability to use Darkus abilities... My bakugan's only half Darkus. Triple Ability Activate… Tornado Missile plus Diamond Edge and Aerial Ace!" Sentinel body began to glow a very fierce green aura, ripping apart the ground beneath him. His wings turned silver, but they were much shinier and the spikes stood out. Moving almost like lightning, he jumped to the air, holding his fists up which were now glowing green. Letting out one last battle cry, Sentinel swooped down at incredible speed over Streak Blazer's head, his body spinning around creating a mini tornado as aimed numerous punches at Streak Blazer.

**Streak Blazer: 700 Sentinel: 1400**

"What?! A triple ability? How is that even possible?!" Amy yelled as she began pulling out an ability card, but was too late; Sentinel had already struck her bakugan. Streak Blazer fell to her knees, before glowing bright red and landing at Amy's feet.

_Amy Foster life force, 0 percent. Winner, Theodore James._

"I can't believe it folks. Against all odds, Theodore has pulled out of the battle victorious, beating Amy in the process. This moves up his rank to 119 while Amy's rank drops down to 47" the announcer boomed over the crowds applause just as Theodore caught Sentinel in midair. He found himself caught in the moment, before a gentle nudged on the shoulder. He turned around, and was surprised to see Amy standing in front of him.

"You did good out there, and although you dropped my rank, you deserve to win that battle" she said, stretching her hand out. Theodore shook her hand, but was more surprised when she yanked his arm, her mouth closer to his ears. "But the next time we meet, I will destroy you" she hissed.

Theodore could only laugh nervously as she walked out of the arena behind him. He knew they would battle again, and she would be much stronger than today. But he was ready for it, because he knew no matter what, Sentinel would always be by his side... and he didn't want to have it any other way...

**OK, I'm finally done with this chapter, although it took up most of my free time. I think many of you might realize this (and if you don't then I guess you are blind), but Theodore refers to Sentinel as Darktus Sentinel. This isn't in fact a typo; it's actually the mix of the two words Darkus and Ventus. You see, you take the 'Dark' from Darkus and the 'tus' from Ventus, and you mix them together and Darktus! The Journey of Theodore and Sentinel is only just beginning, so stay tuned for more, next time, on Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Radiant Destiny! (See what I did there, I used the Dragon Ball thing they do at the end of every episode. Ha-ha... ha... Am I the only one laughing at my own joke? My life is sad...) Oh, and for the record, I'm accepting OCs, so if you want one of your potential characters to feature in one of my chapters, just fill in the form below. Right now, I need an additional 4 bakugan team members (Subterra, Haos, Aquos and Darkus (seeing as Theodore is a Ventus brawler)) and I need a bad guy-like brawler to feature in my next chapter… So if you're interested…**

**Pen Name:**

**OC's name:**

**Age: **

**Gender:**

**Attribute type:**

**Physical Description:**

**Personality:**

**Back-story (optional):**

**Guardian Bakugan:**

**Attribute:**

**Physical Description:**

**Personality:**

**Ability Cards (a maximum of 7 (and descriptions)):**

**Battle Gear (plus description and ability cards):**

**Bakugan Trap (plus description and ability cards):**


	3. Friends Before Foes

**Before I start the 3****rd**** Chapter, I just want to say thanks to all the people who reviewed this fanfic, including the ones who sent me their OC's. They were greatly appreciated. For anyone who hasn't sent in an OC, there's still time to send in a one. Right now, I need two antagonists, preferably Aquos and Subterra brawlers, and I still need an Aquos brawler and a Darkus brawler for the six main characters of the fanfic. The sheet's on the chapter before, or if you need more information, you can PM me. And now, the moment we've all been waiting for… Chapter 3 everybody!**

**3: Friends before Foes**

At the James residence, Theodore stood in the front of his mirror, buttoning up the top button of his white and blue striped uniform shirt. His school uniform consisted of a white blazer jacket, a white and blue striped shirt, a blue tie and a pair of navy blue trousers. The school—Everest Academy—didn't really care about the footwear that much, so he picked out his traditional blue hi-top sneakers white streaks on the sides. It was the first day back to school since the summer holidays, and he wanted to go for a smart look. Although, he still kept his hair spiky and messy, mostly because his hair was naturally messy and there wasn't a single comb in the house that could tame his hair. He could feel Sentinel roll up onto his shoulder as he stuffed his school books, along with his laptop, bakugan and gauntlet into his bag.

"There's still something I don't get. Why do you humans go to school anyways?" Sentinel said in a blank tone. "Why can't we just get to the brawling part? Ever since yesterday, I've been waiting for more bakugan to battle. I'm literally losing my patience!"

"Although I would love to ditch school and brawl, my Mother said school comes first, no matter what. We can just brawl some other time" Theodore said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of his room and down the stairs towards the dining hall where he found his Mom, who was sipping her coffee while reading the newspaper. Mrs. James had a similar appearance to Theodore. She had the same chestnut hair, except hers was actually well taken care of and much longer than Theodore's, which fell down to her shoulders. She also had green eyes, but hers had a slight edge to them. She wore a green jacket with a black t-shirt inside, black trousers and brown slippers. Theodore pulled out two pieces of toast from a small plate and drank some milk.

"You ready for your first day of school, honey? Remember, I don't want a repeat of what happened last time" his mom said sternly, still keeping her eyes on the newspaper. Theodore shrugged his shoulders as he hastily ate through his slice of toast.

"Are we seriously going to bring this up again? It was only an accident" Theodore said between bites and sips. "Besides, it's not like I did anything wrong."

"You left a large crater in the car park" his mother reminded. "Can you at least make a good impression on your first day of school without doing something out of control? What is it with kids these days and this Baku thingy?"

"Bakugan" Theodore corrected.

"Whatever. Just make sure I don't get pulled out of work because of you." Theodore shrugged his shoulders in response as he walked out of the house, the fresh morning air filling his nostrils. He pulled his bike out of the garage before pulling onto the sidewalk.

"What did you do this time?" Sentinel asked.

"It's kind of a long story" Theodore said as he turned to face Sentinel, who was giving him a look that said 'humour me'. "Fine, it was a normal school day, and I was lounging about the school car park, and this mysterious girl challenges me to a battle…"

* * *

_Theodore was walking around the school car park, not caring if any of the teacher. He had just been accustomed to the silence when a strange figure appeared in front of him. She had light skin and long white spiky hair that covered her face, but he could just notice her ruby red eyes. She wore a black long sleeved tight shirt, black shorts that were held together with a red belt and black boots which had red laces. Everything about this girl just seemed… odd. _

"_How about a little battle, eh, just the two of us? If you win, I won't bother you again" the mysterious girl said, attaching a red and black gauntlet onto her arm as she played with a red bakugan with white accents in her free hand. _

"_Since you're obviously not from around here, I'll give your wish" Theodore smiled, slipping his green and white Ventus gauntlet onto his arm._

"_Gauntlet Power Strike!" they both yelled. The area around them slowly began to slow down before being completely frozen in time. _

"_Silent Card set!" the girl said as she pulled strange card with a flaming skull design and a scythe running through it and dropped it onto the battlefield. It began to glow purple before it sunk into the ground. _

"_Hey, what's that strange card you put into the ground?" Theodore asked, obviously taken aback by the strange card. He'd never seen anything like it. He'd heard about strange cards being able to do that, but he couldn't trace anything that would associate with it. _

"_You'll find out soon enough. Gate card set!" the girl said, throwing down a Pyrus gate card onto the ground. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! We shall not disappoint our master, Pyrus Nexus." Pyrus Nexus looked strangely like a cross between a wolf and a grizzly bear. It had a muscular build and its body was covered in dark fur. The muscles on its arms were white and the spine which was surprisingly spiked and on the outside of its body was also white. It had yellow claws and three thick yellow whiskers on each side of its face and purple eyes that had an evil edge to them. The bakugan had yellow plated armour on its chest with white geometric cuts in it and stood on its four legs. It let out a fierce roar as it entered the battle with 900Gs. _

"_Hmm, this bakugan's actually quite strong, so I have to think of a suitable tactic if I want to beat this girl" Theodore said to himself as he pulled out a green bakugan with dark green accents. "Bakugan brawl! Falconeer stand!" _

_**Nexus: 900 Falconeer: 540**_

"_Let's make this quick… Ability Activate! Fire Stream!" Nexus growled as he shot numerous fire balls towards Falconeer, who easily dodged them all without even trying. _

_**Nexus: 1300 Falconeer: 440**_

"_If your bakugan's that weak then I'm surprised you sent her out in the first place" Nexus smiled evilly. _

"_Don't think we're giving up just yet! Ability Activate… Ventus Reactor!" Falconeer's body began to glow fiery green, before slowly dying down, adding 50Gs to it. _

"_You think a puny attack like that is going to stop me? You're out of your league!" the girl laughed. _

"_Who say's we're done yet? Ability Activate! Talon Fury!" Falconeer flew towards Nexus, throwing many kicks and punches at Nexus, who tried to block the blows but Falconeer proved to be too fast and landed most of his blows, slowly weakening the wolf-like bakugan. _

_**Nexus: 1050 Falconeer: 690**_

"_Ability Activate! Alpha Assault!" Nexus roared as he split into three and charged forward at high speed, almost like he was teleporting in thin air. The Nexus clones bashed into Falconeer from the sides, while Nexus attacked from above. Falconeer tried to block as many blows as he could, but dealing with three opponents rather than one wasn't as easy as it looked._

_**Nexus: 1250 Falconeer: 690**_

"_You're not taking me down that easily. Ability Activate, Shadow Falcon!" Falconeer began to glow white, before his body was split into three different bodies, making it easier to fight Nexus and his clones seeing as they were now evenly matched. Each Falconeer flew away towards their opponent, and the battle quickly took off._

_**Nexus: 1050 Falconeer: 890 **_

"_Is that all you've got?" Nexus growled. _

"_Not quite. Ability Activate! Angelic Enforcement!" Falconeer and his clones began to glow fiery green before firing bolts of green fire from their beaks and shooting them at the Nexus's clones, easily destroying them. Falconeer and his clones then charged forward using Nexus's earlier tactic with two of them attacking from the side while the original Falconeer attacked from above._

_**Nexus: 850 Falconeer: 1090**_

"_Right where we want him… Ability Activate! Turbo Nova!" Nexus cloaked his body into pure white flames and charged towards Falconeer. Nexus bashed into the clones, easily destroying them, before charging forward towards the original Falconeer. Nexus struck Falconeer in the head from above sending him spiraling into the air before hitting the ground with a loud thud, creating numerous cracks in the ground._

_**Nexus: 1250 Falconeer: 590**_

"_It's time to finish this battle once and for all Nexus! Ablity Activate! Pure Fire!" Nexus created a gigantic ball of white fire in his maw, and when it was finally big enough, he shot it at Falconeer. Unfortunately, Falconeer was still recovering from the previous attack, and didn't have any time to react. The force of the blast sent Falconeer crashing into a red Suzuki in the parking lot. Falconeer began to glow bright green, but the aura around him was transferred into the ground before returning to its ball form—which was now grey instead of green—and back to Theodore. _

_**Nexus: 1600 Falconeer: 190(K.O.)**_

"_H-hey what did you do to my Falconeer? How come he's all grey instead of green?" Theodore asked as he gripped his bakugan tightly in his hands, which were now balled up into fists._

"_Easy. I took away all the Ventus energy he had inside of him and transferred it into the Silent Card. It was quite weak, but still useful" the girl smiled, only further enraging Theodore. Before Theodore could say a single word, the girl disappeared from his peripheral vision, vanishing into thin air._

* * *

"So what you're telling me is that there's a card that has the ability to extract all the bakugan energy from a bakugan into one single card? How is that even possible?!" Sentinel asked, intrigued by the story.

"I'm not really sure. I've seen many mysterious cards in my brawling days, but never a card that could literally suck the energy out of a bakugan" Theodore said, his mind drifting off to any potential cards that might have this power. Before they even knew it, Bayview Academy was already in sight. Theodore jumped off his bike and left it in an empty bike spot in the car park, unlike the last time where he had left in the parking lot and it ended up being crushed by the wheels of numerous teachers' cars. "It looks like this is our stop Sentinel."

Saying Bayview Academy was a big school was an understatement. It looked about the size of 6 football fields, and was about 3 storey's high. The building was painted a pale blue colour, and the windows were tinted slight green. The front of the building was already full with countless teenagers, all deep into the stories of their summer holidays and, if necessary, their latest bakugan brawls and rankings. He even spotted a small crowd trading ability cards. He felt a firm but weak fist punch his shoulder. He rubbed his shoulder faking pain as he turned to see his long time friend, Chinatsu.

Chinatsu or Chichi was she was commonly known as, was a short girl with ocean blue eyes and bright orange hair that was tied back into two ponytails. She wore her usual school uniform, but she wore black leggings underneath her skirt and her trademark pink and purple sneakers. "Hey Theodore! How was spring break?" she said, flashing off her casual bright smile. "I heard you won a battle yesterday and got your rank moved up. Since when did you start battling in Bakugan Interspace? I thought you were more of an outdoor brawler."

"If you're going to keep bombarding me with your questions I think we're going to be out here until the next millennium" Theodore joked, earning a glare from Chinatsu. "OK, the rumours are true. I moved up a rank, but it's not like I'm going to be a full-time brawler. Like you said, I'm an outdoor brawler."

Sentinel jumped onto Theodore's shoulder. "So what you're saying I won't be able to battle other bakugan and become stronger? Man, you're really starting to kill my vibe!" Sentinel whined. Chinatsu stared wide eyed at the strange green and black bakugan on her best friend's shoulder.

"Hey, you never told me you got your own guardian bakugan! Is there anything else you're not telling me?" she said sternly, folding her hands. Just then, a white bakugan with yellow and black accents rolled up onto Chinatsu's shoulder. The bakugan's ball form was similar to Blade Tigrerra.

"You better have a good reason of waking me up Chinatsu. I was just in the middle of my mid-morning nap" the bakugan spoke in a blank voice, although Theodore could've sworn he could sense a slight anger in her voice. It wasn't long before she caught Sentinel sitting on Theodore's shoulder. "Who's the strange bakugan on your friend's shoulder? I don't think I've met him before."

"Sorry about that Lazuli-san, Theodore here was just introducing us to his new friend over there" Chinatsu said gesturing to Sentinel.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist Chichi" Theodore said, purposefully calling Chinatsu by her nickname to annoy her, knowing she hated her nickname with every bone in her body. "Sentinel, allow me to introduce my best friend Chinatsu Tanaka, and her guardian bakugan Haos Lazuli. Chinatsu and Lazuli, meet my new guardian bakugan, Darktus Sentinel."

"Darktus? Don't you mean Darkus?" Lazuli asked.

"Not entirely. You see, Sentinel is actually a hybrid bakugan, a cross between a Ventus and Darkus bakugan, so instead of saying Ventus/Darkus every time I throw him into the battlefield, I call him Darktus to shorten my words."

"I see… So how did you two actually meet?" Lazuli asked, again there was no hint of emotion from her voice.

"Well, it's actually a funny story…" Theodore began to say, but was cut off by the sound of the school bell ringing, signaling the beginning of school. The entrance doors were filled with a crowd of lazy students trying to get to their first class without being trampled over by the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple, seeing as everyone was budged up at the door although they were trying to accomplish the same goals. "Saved by the bell..." Theodore muttered underneath his breath. "Well, looks like we're going to have to catch up on that story later. Peace."

Chinatsu nodded in agreement before they both took their separate ways, Theodore heading down the hall for his PE class while Chinatsu headed up the stairs onto the top floor for her Maths class. The day went by so quickly Theodore hadn't even noticed himself walking towards the cafeteria. He stared at the menu for the day which was stuck up on the notice board: Sloppy Joes. A small smile formed on his lips as he entered the cafeteria, the smell of 'freshly' cooked Sloppy Joes filling his nostrils. She took his share and sat on a small table in the corner where Chinatsu was waiting for him.

"How can you stand to eat that… garbage? It's so unhealthy!" Chinatsu said as she continued eating her bowl of salad, just as Theodore had bit into his Sloppy Joe.

"It's not all that bad. I mean, the food here isn't five star but it provides you with the energy to go through the day" Theodore said between bites.

"I'd rather kiss a donkey's behind" Chinatsu said, holding her nose with her thumb and index finger while making a disgusted face. "So, going back to this morning, you said you were going to tell me how you and Sentinel met."

Theodore scratched the back of his neck nervously. "He broke into my room." He began searching his pockets for Sentinel, to find out he wasn't there. He didn't panic though, knowing exactly where he left him. "Speaking of Sentinel, I think I left him in my gym locker. Can you keep my spot while I go get him? I doubt he can last another minute in there." Theodore chuckled.

"Go ahead. Just make sure you come back in the next five minutes." Taking that as his cue to leave, Theodore rushed out of the cafeteria and made his way towards the PE locker room. It wasn't that far away, they were located on the end of the hallway. He reached his locker and hastily entered in his combination before pulling out his gym shorts and pulled Sentinel out of his pockets, who by the look of his face, didn't look like he'd enjoyed his stay.

"How is it that you were only running for fifteen minutes and your locker room smells half as bad as a Griffon's behind?!" Sentinel said enraged. Theodore merely shrugged his shoulders.

"C'mon, we have to head back to the cafeteria. There may still be some leftovers left so if we get there in good time there might be some left." Theodore quickly broke into a run as he headed towards the door.

"Not so fast" a familiar voice said behind him, stopping him in his tracks. He flinched as he turned around to see a familiar face, one he wasn't very keen on seeing in short notice. The familiar ruby red eyes, scruffy long white hair, the familiar scar on her left cheek…

"You! You're the girl that took the energy away from my Falconeer!" he yelled through his gritted teeth.

"Guilty as charged" the girl smiled as she jumped off the lockers. "I heard you've become pretty strong since our last encounter. How about a little battle?" The girl said, pulling out an all too familiar red and black bakugan from her pocket as he slid on her gauntlet.

"So this is the girl who took your Falconeer's energy, huh? Can't say I'm surprised, seeing as you've got evil written all over your face" Sentinel smiled as he hopped into Theodore's hands. "Why don't we teach this girl a lesson, show her who she's really messing with."

"Sounds like a proposition. Care to back up your words through your battling?" Nexus said as he opened up from his closed ball form.

"Thought you'd never ask" Theodore said as he put on his green and black gauntlet.

"Gauntlet Power Strike!" they both yelled.

"Silent Card set" the girl said, throwing the same black card with the flaming skull and scythe onto the ground. It began to glow purple before being sucked into the ground.

'That's the same card she threw down before we started our last battle' Theodore thought. 'I shouldn't be too hasty. I already know how powerful her bakugan actually is, so sending out my side bakugan isn't going to make a difference.'

"Since this is the rematch, why not let me start first? Gate Card set!" Theodore said as he threw a Ventus Gate Card onto the ground of the football stadium. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Show them what you're made of Sentinel!"

"The fact that you think you're going to win bores me. Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's burn that bakugan to a crisp, Nexus!"

**Sentinel: 700 Nexus: 900**

"Ability Card Activate! Undead Power!" Dark clouds slowly covered the skies, the sound of thunder shaking the ground. Purple lightning shot down from the clouds and onto Sentinel, covering him in a purple aura and boosting his power up by 300Gs.

The girl smirked as she slotted her ability card into her gauntlet. "Ability Card Activate! Fire Stream!"

"You think that's power? Check this out!" Nexus roared as he sent numerous balls of fire towards Sentinel.

**Sentinel: 1000 Nexus: 1300**

"Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Sentinel eyes began glowing green, and he easily dodged past the fireballs as if there were nothing but small pebbles.

"If you think a petty attack like that is going to stop me, then you're sorely mistaken" Sentinel laughed.

"I'm flattered by how much your courage blinds you from the truth. Ability Activate! Pure Fire!" Nexus generated a ball of white flames into his maw, launching it straight at Sentinel when it was big enough.

"Let's see how you'll get out of this one, bird boy" Nexus mocked.

**Sentinel: 600 Nexus: 1700**

"Then let's change the scoreboard. Double Ability Activate! Darkening Glow plus Ventus Night!" Theodore said, making an X with his arms as the ability cards glowed in his arms. Sentinel's body began to glow bright white as a dark mist covered the battlefield. Arrow-like tendrils shot out of Sentinel's body, all aimed at Nexus.

**Sentinel: 1300 Nexus: 1000**

"I grow tired of these futile attempts to defeat me, so let's end this quickly. Ability Activate, Turbo Nova!" Nexus roared as his body began to glow white, adding 500Gs to himself and decreasing Sentinel's by the same amount as he charged towards Sentinel, accurately timing his movements as he dodged all the arrow bolts, striking Sentinel in the chest, ripping through his fur.

"Lucky… punch" Sentinel choked as he returned to his ball form and landed at Theodore's feet.

**Sentinel: 800(K.O) Nexus: 1500**

_Theodore life force 40 percent._

"Looks like I underestimated you, but don't think you're getting any pity from me. I'm still going to defeat you and avenge my Falconeer!" Theodore said firmly.

"Aww, is the little baby going to cry? Do you need your milk bottle?" the girl said sarcastically as she rubbed her eyes and made a crying sound, pretending to be a baby.

"Laugh all you want, but I'm still winning this battle."

"You might be strong, but you're nowhere near my level… Besides, I'd like to see you try. I want to see that look on your face when you realize you were wrong" the girl said as she threw down her gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Don't fail me Pyrus Nexus."

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's win this for Falconeer, Darktus Sentinel!"

**Nexus: 900 Sentinel: 700**

"Ability Activate! Fire Stream!" Nexus laughed as he shot countless fireballs at Sentinel.

"I was hoping you might do that. Ability Activate, Aerial Ace!" Sentinel's eyes began to glow green, and he easily dodged past the fireballs with lightning speed.

"Don't think you're going to get rid of me that easily" Sentinel smiled.

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel: 800**

"You seriously think an ability card with only 100Gs is going to stop me?!" Nexus laughed.

"No, but I bet this might put a dent in your shell. Ability Activate! Angelic Storm!" Sentinel's body is covered in a blinding white aura, which is then generated into his palm as a spiky disc. With one might swing, he launches it at Nexus, the disc slicing through Nexus's skin. Nexus let out a mighty yelp as he clutched his injured shoulder.

**Nexus: 1200 Sentinel: 1150**

"It'll take more than a little scratch to defeat me" Nexus choked.

"Ability Activate! Inferno Impact!" Nexus's body is engulfed in flames as he charges towards Sentinel, throwing wild punches and scratches at Sentinel, who tried his best to dodge them all but it was getting increasingly difficult as his body grew tired.

"Hey partner, I can't keep dodging these forever!" Sentinel shouted as he flew into the sky, unable to dodge the attacks.

"Looks like we're going to need some help if we want to win this battle" Theodore sighed.

"So why don't I join in on the fun?" a familiar voice said behind Theodore. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Show them your light, Haos Lazuli!" Lazuli was a thin bipedal sabertooth leopard with white fur with black spots that covered her whole body and had a feminine build, except she wasn't as muscular as Blade Tigrerra and didn't wear any armour. She had light blue eyes, her hands were yellow and shaped like leopard paws and she had three tails. She had long yellow straight hair that went down her spine to the beginning of her tails. She moved into a fighting stance, readying herself for battle.

**Nexus: 1200 Sentinel: 1150**

**Lazuli: 750**

"Chinatsu?! What are you doing here?" Theodore asked, surprised by Chinatsu sudden appearance.

"From the looks of it, saving your butt and your bakugan from losing" Chinatsu said.

"But I was handling everything just fine."

"It sure didn't look like that when your Sentinel was being pummeled over there by that freakishly large wolf" Chinatsu smiled. "You need my help, whether you like it or not." Theodore couldn't really argue with that. Even with Sentinel this girl still had an ability card to counter any of his attacks, along with much stronger cards that were powerful enough to defeat Sentinel with a single blow. He sighed in defeat.

"So, it's now two on one. Care to add another to your ranks to make it even?" the girl smiled evilly.

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think handing me my victory on a silver platter would do you any good. Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!" Chinatsu yelled. Lazuli let out a piercing roar that sent out yellow shockwaves towards Nexus, sending him skidding a few feet away, a trail of dust following his path.

**Nexus: 1200 Sentinel: 1150**

**Lazuli: 1150**

"Let's bring the pain on this overgrown mutt. Ability Activate… Darkening Glow!" Sentinel created a bolt of dark energy into his hands, arrow-like tendrils shooting out of it and attacking Nexus from all sides. Nexus yelped in pain as he fell to his knees.

**Nexus: 1000 Sentinel: 1350**

**Lazuli: 1150**

"I underestimated you two. Your combined power seems to be a match for Nexus's destructive power. Don't get me wrong, that's wasn't a compliment. I'm still winning this match" the girl smiled as she pulled out a white hexagonal bakugan with red accents and threw it onto the battlefield. "Come, my Bakugan Trap, Lobo!" Lobo looked like a quadruped wolf with white fur with dark red accents and sabertooth teeth.

**Nexus/Lobo: 1400 Sentinel: 1350**

**Lazuli: 1150**

"You think a mere Bakugan Trap is going to scare me?" Sentinel smiled as he folded his arms.

"I'd advise you not to be cocky, hybrid bakugan. Bakugan Traps may have a lower G-Power than normal bakugan, but together with a guardian bakugan they're a force to be reckoned with."

"Listen to your friend over there, birdie. That knowledge might save your life" Nexus smiled mischievously.

"Double Ability Activate! Blinding Surge" Lobo shot out a bright flame from his maw into the sky, creating a bright light that hindered Sentinel and Lazuli's eyesight. "… plus Pure Fire!" Nexus fired a huge ball of white fire towards Sentinel and Lazuli, the attack creating a large explosion as it hit its targets. Sentinel and Lazuli skidded backwards, both covered in scratches and bruises, although Sentinel was in a much worse shape.

**Nexus/Lobo: 1800 Sentinel: 950**

**Lazuli: 850**

"Guess I underestimated the true power of Bakugan Traps" Sentinel coughed.

"Well, two can play at that game" Theodore said as he pulled out a green spherical bakugan with black and purple accents and threw it into the air. "Go, Bakugan Trap, Oragon!" Oragon was a humanoid bird like bakugan, except he didn't have wings. He had green fur with tufts of black fur that developed into spiky hair as it reached his face. He had black talons, yellow eyes, and wore a purple scarf round his neck.

**Nexus/Lobo: 1800 Sentinel/Oragon: 1250**

**Lazuli: 850**

"You think a lousy Bakugan Trap will be a match for my duo?" the girl smiled.

"I don't think so, I know so. It's time we turned the tides of this battle" Theodore said determinedly as he slotted two ability cards into his gauntlet. "Double Ability Activate! Darkening Glow plus Destiny Flight!" Sentinel charged a ball of purple energy while Oragon flew up into the air as his scarf transformed into wings. Oragon's body began to glow purple, before launching bolts of purple lightning towards Nexus and Lobo. At the same time, Sentinel shot out purple arrows from his purple energy ball. Both attacks fused into one as they slowly reached the ground, the lighting wrapping around the arrow-like tendrils. The created a blinding explosion as they hit the ground, leaving a large crater in the floor where Nexus and Lobo were slowly recovering.

**Nexus/Lobo: 1400 Sentinel/Oragon: 1650**

**Lazuli: 850**

"Hey, don't leave me out of the fun. Ability Activate… Electroburst!" Chinatsu said. Lazuli shot out a ball of light blue electricity from her mouth towards Nexus and Lobo who were still recovering from the previous ability. Leaving them with no time to react, the ball of electricity hit them, sending them back down to the ground. Both Lobo and Nexus glowed red and white before returning to their ball forms and landing at the girl's feet. The girl's life force dropped to 60 percent.

**Nexus: 1000(K.O) Sentinel: 1650**

**Lazuli: 1250**

Sentinel, Oragon and Lazuli both returned to their respective brawlers. The girl picked up Nexus from the ground before turning to face Theodore and Chinatsu, her hair still covering her face. "So, you actually found a way to defeat my bakugan. You might be strong, but…" she pulled out the hair from her face, revealing her ruby red eyes and a scar on her cheek. "You're not going to be winning this battle. Your bakugan's energies **will **be mine!"

"Enough with all this talking, let's get brawling" Chinatsu said as she threw down her gate card.

"Bakugan brawl!" they shouted in unison.

"Lazuli stand!"

"Sentinel stand!"

"Nexus stand!"

**Nexus: 900 Sentinel: 700**

**Lazuli: 750**

"Ability Activate! Fire Stream!" the girl shouted.

"Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Theodore shouted.

"Ability Activate! Electro Slash!"

Nexus shot numerous balls of fire towards Sentinel, but Sentinel easily dodged past them with Aerial Ace, leaving Lazuli with an open chance to attack as she charged forward, her claws slightly growing out and surrounded with yellow electric sparks, which she used to scratch Nexus in the face and he stumbled backwards.

**Nexus: 1000 Sentinel: 800**

**Lazuli: 1050**

"Ability Activate! Alpha Assault!" Nexus split into three and charged at Sentinel and Lazuli, adding 200Gs to him. The clones attacked Sentinel and Nexus while Nexus watched in the background. Sentinel found it easier to dodge the attacks because of his enhanced speed, but Lazuli didn't seem to be handling the clone attack that good.

"I'm not sure I can hold this clone off much longer! Chinatsu, fire me up with an ability already" Lazuli shouted aggressively as she ducked underneath the Nexus clone's claw.

"Hang in there, Lazuli-san. Ability Activate, Jungle Sprit!" Chinatsu said. A small smile formed on Lazuli's lips as she sped towards the Nexus clone with lightning speed and attacked it with numerous punches and kicks, easily destroying the clone.

"Time to take out the trash. Ability Activate! Undead Power!" Dark clouds covered the clear blue skies. Purple lightning shot down from the ground and struck Sentinel, enhancing his strength and speed. With one powerful kick, the clone burst into a cloud of smoke.

**Nexus: 1150 Sentinel:** **1100**

**Lazuli: 1150**

"Now it's just you and me" Sentinel said, cracking his knuckles.

"Not yet it is. Show them your power, Lobo" the girl said as she threw in her hexagonal Bakugan Trap.

"You're throwing in your Bakugan Trap again? What is up with that?" Theodore whined.

**Nexus/Lobo: 1550 Sentinel: 1100**

**Lazuli: 1150**

"Now you will witness the true power of my bakugan" the girl said, laughing maniacally.

"Guess you're going to have to put that speech on hold, because there is no way you're taking my bakugan. Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!" Lazuli roared loudly, sending powerful shockwaves across the battlefield, easily striking Nexus and Lobo. Lobo returned to its hexagonal form and landed back at the girl's feet.

"What?! How is that even possible?" the girl asked, surprised by how her Bakugan Trap was defeated so easily.

"Frightful Roar is an ability that not only adds 400Gs to Lazuli, but also destroys your Bakugan Traps if it hits" Chinatsu explained as she pulled out her final ability card. "Now it's time to finish you off for good. Ability Activate! Electroburst!" Lazuli shot out a light blue ball of pure electricity towards Nexus.

"Hey, don't forget about me. Ability Activate! Ventus Night!" Darkness blanketed the battlefield, the only source of light being Sentinel's now glowing fists. He charged forward and threw a mighty punch at Nexus, which kept him dazed for a short while before Lazuli's attack hit. Nexus growled in defeat as he returned to his ball form and landed in Chinatsu's hands. The girl's life gauge fell down to 0 percent. Lazuli and Sentinel both returned to their brawlers.

**Nexus: 200(K.O) Sentinel: 1600**

**Lazuli: 2000**

"It looks like we won after all, and we've taken your bakugan now so there's no way you can take ours now" Theodore smiled as he folded his arms. The girl still kept silent as she brought up her hand. Nexus began to glow red and floated away from Chinatsu's hands and landed onto her hand.

"H-hey, you can't just take your bakugan back like that. That's cheating!" Chinatsu yelled.

"Who said I play by the rules?" the girl smiled, before vanishing into thin air just like the last time.

"Weird" Chinatsu said. "Well, we better get back if we want to make it to third period in time." And with her final words, both teens rushed towards the school buildings, hoping not to get caught by the damage they had inflicted on the school field.

* * *

A dark skinned boy sat in the stands of the field. Having watched the battle between the boy and the girl against that mysterious girl he'd been tracking for a few days now. He knew she was strong, but if the girl and the boy had beaten her, then it meant they're bakugan were just as powerful. But one thing troubled his mind, the fact that the boy's bakugan was able to use both Ventus and Darkus abilities. He had never seen or known any bakugan that was able to do that. A brown bakugan rolled up onto his shoulder.

"So, do you think we're going to seeing that girl anytime soon?" the bakugan said.

"No… but I know we're going to be seeing more of those two in due time" the boy spoke. "Their bakugan are slowly getting stronger, but with a new threat arising, they're going to need a lot more power if they're going to survive…"

The boy then stood up from his seat and left the school campus…

**So, what did you think of this chapter? Wait, don't tell me, that's what the reviews are for. Did you like the little mystery at the end? I'm not spoiling anything for you, but all I'm saying is that you'll be seeing more of Chinatsu and Theodore, and hopefully *wink wink* of that mysterious girl and the boy in the stands. For the record, I do not own Chinatsu and the mysterious girl (that's not her name, but I don't want to spoil anything), those are owned by Switch-On-97. But until then, I bid you farewell. SkyRider out!**


	4. Fate Has Been Decided

**Okay, Chapter 4, the moment you've all been waiting for. Sorry for the late reply, with all the assessments that have been piled up I couldn't get any writing done. But now, those are finally over (for now that is) so I spent all my free time getting this chapter done for all you anxious reader who couldn't wait any second longer to read this. So, without further adieu: **

**Chapter 4: It's only the Beginning...**

School was finally over at Bayview Academy, with many children rushing out of the school doors to get back to their original lives. Theodore and Chinatsu were somewhere in the middle of the crowd, trying to get through the school doors while also trying not to get trampled on by the many students behind them. They finally managed to break free and before long they were walking down the sidewalk towards their respective houses.

"That white-haired girl was really weird. Why did she want to take our bakugan anyways?" Chinatsu said.

"I'm not really sure, although this is the second time I've encountered her. We're just lucky that we didn't lose our bakugan's attribute energy, or else this would've been the end of our brawling days" Theodore said, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean by our bakugan losing their attribute energy? Is that even possible? Have you heard about anything like that Lazuli-san?" Chinatsu said just as Lazuli jumped onto her shoulder.

"I've never heard of a card that could literally suck out the energy off a certain bakugan. It seems too mythical to be true" Lazuli spoke. "However, if this is true, then the energy could be used for two purposes: either the energy would be transferred to the bakugan that defeated its opponent, or the energy could be stored for a future purpose."

"Well, seeing as the girl hadn't gotten stronger since I last battled her, then it's probably the second option" Theodore said just as Sentinel had jumped onto his shoulder.

"OK, enough with the talk about that mysterious girl and all this mystic information. Let's get down to the real business, finding more opponents to battle!" Sentinel said cheerily flying around Theodore. "C'mon, I can't wait. Less talking, more brawling."

"Will you ever just take a break for one second? We've had two battles in less than 24 hours, and I could really use a nap right now. All that battling is making me tired" Theodore yawned, stretching his arms.

"How is it that you're tired when _we've _been doing all the fighting?" Lazuli said. "Nevermind, there would be no point in arguing with an inferior being like you. It would be best if we all have some time off brawling, it will give us more energy for upcoming battles."

"I agree with Lazuli's idea. If we rest now, we won't be psyched out when we battle more opponents... Wait a second, what do you mean by 'inferior being'? I'm like ten times taller than you!" Theodore yelled.

"That's only on Earth, you simpleton. If I were in my normal form, I would've squashed you like I bug" Lazuli said sternly. Theodore only sighed angrily in return, knowing he'd only be making a fool out of himself if he continued on with the argument.

"Rest? Resting is for the weak. I say we find the nearest brawler and show him who's bakugan is boss. So, who's with me?" Sentinel said triumphantly.

"No one" the rest responded.

"What, seriously? You guys really know how to cramp a bakugan's style" Sentinel whined.

"Don't worry dude, there'll be other chances. Maybe tomorrow... in two days... in a week... in a month... Either way, the less you whine, the more brawling you'll get to later" Theodore said. The rest of the journey was spent in silence, occasionally Sentinel would jump in about how he wanted to battle but everyone else would ignore him and move on. It wasn't long before they reached the park, where they both parted in different directions, Chinatsu heading straight down the sidewalk while Theodore took a right turn towards his house.

Theodore was only a few blocks away from his house. He walked down the street, which was surprisingly silent despite it being rush hour. The only noise being made was of a bird soaring over him. It was way too quiet, and he had this strange feeling that he was being watched. He heard footsteps behind him, but when he turned around there wasn't a person in sight. Thinking he was being paranoid, he turned around, only to find himself face to face with a strange girl. Startled by the strange appearance of the girl, he fell to the floor, landing with a loud thud as his body hit the ground.

"You know, it's not very polite to scare people who still have a few years to live" Theodore joked as he got to his feet. The girl had short green hair that was tied back to a ponytail and purple eyes. She wore a red t-shirt with blue shorts and orange and black sneakers. A fingerless glove was worn on her left arm, while a clash of bracelets were worn on the other. A brown gauntlet was equipped onto her arm.

"I didn't come here to pity you, I came here to battle you" the strange girl said. "I heard you beat Flare, which is quite surprising seeing as she's of a higher rank than you, but I came here to test you, to see how powerful you really are."

"Flare... You mean that white haired girl that almost tried to take my bakugan? If you know her, then you're probably working with her. I appreciate the offer, but my bakugan aren't for the taking" Theodore said, walking past her.

"Hey, you're just turning down a battle request like that? How do expect to become a stronger brawler if you always keep refusing to battle?" Sentinel groaned.

"It looks like your bakugan has a different approach to this than you. If I were you, I'd listen to your bakugan. You won't become stronger if you don't battle" the girl smiled. "So, what's it going to be? Are we going to have a lame conversation or are we going to get down to business?" The girl pulled out a brown bakugan with light brown accents.

_'If I don't accept the challenge, this girl might keep challenging me until I die, and I might lose the only guardian bakugan I ever had. But if I battle this girl, she might end up taking Sentinel...' _Theodore thought. Finally coming up with a final decision, he pulled out his gauntlet and turned to face her.

"Let's get this battle started" Theodore smiled.

"Gauntlet Power Strike!" they both yelled.

* * *

Chinatsu sprinted past a small flower shop as she continued on her journey home. She was worried her parents might shout at her if she arrived home late. Since her parents kept pushing her to become a doctor, she wasn't allowed any free time. Most of her time was either spent studying Biochemistry, or doing her homework. The only time she got to brawl was during school or when she was meant to be doing her extracurricular activities, but it was getting harder to keep her family and brawling life in one piece. She looked down at her watch, which read 12:05. Her parents wanted her home by 12:08, any second later would be dealt with a harsh argument followed by her grounding.

Chinatsu knew she wouldn't make it to her home in time. She had the same problem a few years back, but having a friend like Theodore did have some benefits. Because of him, she knew all the fastest shortcuts that could get her home in time. She cut into a small alleyway in the middle of a bank and a phone bureau, which led her to a long street where her house was located. She passed by a few houses before she reached hers. It wasn't that special. The house was painted white and purple and had two floors. A small garden could be seen to the left of the entrance. Chinatsu spotted a note left on the door and quickly pulled it off. It read: "Gone to see your Grandmother. Be back in a few hours."

"Great, I've rushed here for nothing. This was a total waste of time" Chinatsu sighed as she sat on the balcony.

"I agree, chasing you down for this long, and this is the only time I get to actually introduce myself" a strange voice said. Chinatsu looked forward to see a tall raven haired boy standing on the fence of her house. He wore a red checked shirt with green shorts and black vans. He had emerald green eyes that had a slight edge to them. A thin black iris could be spotted in the middle of his eyes.

"And who are _you _exactly?" Chinatsu asked.

"The name's Atticus Rosen, and I'm here to take your bakugan" Atticus said, flashing a mischievous smile.

"Seriously, what is up with brawlers today and taking other people's bakugan these days?" Chinatsu said.

"It's fun watching your opponent lose everything they ever dreamed of having right in front of your eyes" Atticus said, somersaulting off the wall and pulling out a blue and white gauntlet from his pockets. "So, are you ready to lose your bakugan to the 6th ranked brawler?"

Chinatsu pulled out her gauntlet and equipped it onto her arm. "I'm not battling you for my own personal gain, I want to see that look on your face when you lose to someone who is of a lower rank than you."

"You've got some real guts, kitten. Unfortunately for you, that's not going to help you in this case" Atticus said.

"Let's take this somewhere else. I don't want my parents finding their house half destroyed" Chinatsu said.

"So, what battlefield do you have in mind?" Atticus smiled as he folded his arms.

* * *

"Silent Card, set!" the girl said, throwing a purple card-similar to the white haired girl's-onto the ground.

"Hey, what's up with that card anyways?" Theodore asked.

"I said I'd battle you, I never said it would be fair. Gate card set!" the girl smiled as she threw down a Subterra gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Saberus, stand!" Saberus resembled a sabertooth tiger that stood on all fours. It had light brown fur and had sharp claws. Light brown spikes stuck out on it's back. It's canine teeth were metallic. It's tail was spiked on the end.

"Hmm, a wildcat eh? It shouldn't be too hard to handle. What do you think, Sentinel?"

"I say we show this cat who's the real king of the jungle" Sentinel said.

"Couldn't have said it any better myself. Bakugan brawl! Sentinel stand!"

**Saberus: 950 Sentinel: 700**

"First, let's even up the odds. Ability Activate! Undead Power!" Theodore shouted. Dark clouds appeared over the battlefield, the sound of the roaring thunder breaking the silence. A fury of purple lightning bolts shot down from the clouds onto Sentinel, increasing his G-Power by 300Gs.

"If you think that's going to stop Saberus, then I'm surprised you beat Flare in the first place. Ability Activate! Superior Subterra!" Saberus's body began to glow bright brown, before slowly dying out, but this time Saberus's claws and spikes were metallic and her eyes were now glowing brown.

**Saberus: 1450 Sentinel: 1000**

"And if you think that changing your bakugan's ability is going to stop me and Sentinel, then you're sorely mistaken. Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Sentinel generated a bolt of purple energy into his hands and aimed it at Saberus. Arrow-like tendrils shot out from the energy ball towards Saberus, who dodged them with ease.

"Ability Activate... Sandstorm Ferocity!" A harsh sandstorm formed on the battlefield, rendering Sentinel's ability to see. Saberus charged forward at lightning speed, attacking Sentinel from all sides. Sentinel's G-Power slowly decreased by 50Gs for every hit.

"Theodore, do something. I'm not sure how long I can take this" Sentinel shouted as he tried, and failed, to dodge Saberus's attacks.

"Hang in there, buddy. Double Ability Activate! Tornado Missile..." Large tornados appeared around Sentinel, clearing away the mist and exposing Saberus, who was now charging forward at Sentinel. "plus Angelic Storm!" Sentinel's body was concealed in a blinding white aura, which was then formed into a spiky oval disc into his hand. He shot it at Saberus, who tried to dodge the attack, but got hit in the chest before it could move away. Saberus fell to the ground, but slowly got back up to it's feet, covered in small cuts and bruises.

**Saberus: 1350 Sentinel: 1400**

"A fifty G difference... How do you expect to beat me if your bakugan is no where near the power of mine?" the girl said.

"Don't worry, that's all going to change soon..." Theodore said as he pulled out an ability card from his pile and slotted it into his gauntlet.

* * *

"A power plant, eh? You've really outdone yourself. Now I have some fireworks for when I beat you!" Atticus said cheerily.

"An _abandoned _power plant. I usually use this for practice, but I guess I could use it to defeat you" Chinatsu said as she pulled out her attribute card, Atticus following her lead.

"Gauntlet Power Strike!" they both yelled, time slowly slowing down around them.

"Gate card set!" Atticus said, throwing down a blue Aquos gate card onto the ground. "Let's make this fun, shall we? Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Go Aquos Zerrilius!" Zerrilius was a serpent like bakugan with blue scales and had snakes for arms. It had a design of snake face on it's chest. It's green eyes stared venomously at Chinatsu, before letting out a loud hiss.

"It'sssss been a while ssssssince I've battled a bakugan before. Let'sssssss sssssssee how sssssstrong your bakugan isssssssss" Zerillius hissed.

"Bakugan brawl! Haos Lazuli, stand!" Chinatsu said as the threw Lazuli onto the gate card.

**Zerrilius: 800 Lazuli: 750**

"Ability Activate! Electro Slash!" Lazuli's claws slightly grow out, surrounding them were yellow electric sparks. She charged forward, slashing her claws at Zerillius.

"Ability Activate... Metal Fang" Atticus said, pretending to yawn as if he was bored. Zerrilius's scales became metallic, and Lazuli's attack didn't seem to inflict any damage as it bashed into Zerrilius's scales. The electric sparks on Lazuli's claws seeped into the metallic scales, and Lazuli's scaled reverted to their normal state.

**Zerrilius: 1200 Lazuli: 450**

"How is it that your bakugan's G-Power increased by mine decreased? After all, all your bakugan did was defend Lazuli-san's attack" Chinatsu said.

"Metal Fang not only defends Zerrilius from any physical attacks and adds 100Gs to him, but also absorbs the attack from any ability acting against it and does the reverse from the ability's intention. In short, your ability did the reverse of what you wanted it do" Atticus said.

"A sneaky trick, but that won't be enough to defeat me" Lazuli said.

"You sssssure about that?" Zerrilius asked.

"Now it's my turn to attack. Ability Activate! Venom Stream!" Zerrilius shot out a jet of acidic water from his three heads towards Lazuli. Lazuli jumped over the attack, but didn't have enough time to react as Zerrilius shot another jet of acidic water at her. Lazuli fell to the ground, covered in multiple cuts and burns.

**Zerrilius: 1400 Lazuli: 250**

"Chinatsu, do something. One more attack, and I'm toast" Lazuli growled.

"I'm on it, Lazuli-san. Looks like we need some help. Come Bakugan Trap, Fencer!" Fencer was a golden sword with thin arms which held a sword and a circular shield.

**Zerrilius: 1400 Lazuli/Fencer: 600**

"Now it's time to turn the tides... Double Ability Activate! Electroburst..." Lazuli shot out a blast of light blue electricity from her mouth, which Zerrilius easily evaded. "plus Sword Ravager!" While Zerrilius was distracted, Fencer charged forward, slashing his sword at Zerrilius who could do nothing but receive the pain being inflicted upon him.

**Zerrilius: 1000 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050**

"So, you finally managed to catch up, but now it's time to end this battle. Double Ability Activate! Viper's Cry..." Zerrilius spit out venom from it's mouth which landed on Fencer. Fencer returned to it's ball form before landing at Chinatsu feet. "plus Spitfire!" Zerrilius shot out a blast of green water towards Lazuli, which sent her spiraling to the ground. Lazuli glowed yellow before landing at Chinatsu's feet.

**Zerrilius: 1300 Lazuli: 500(K.O)**

_Chinatsu life force, 20 percent. _

"This was all too easy" Atticus said as he Zerrilius landed onto his palm. "With your current form and your life gauge pretty low, I doubt you would be able to fend off for yourself in the second round."

Chinatsu picked up Lazuli from the ground and turned to face Atticus. "You're the one who challenged me in the first place, so I want to battle you to the end, no matter if I win or lose."

"If you say so, but don't think I'll give you any mercy just because you have a low life gauge."

"Didn't think of it. Gate card set! Bakugan brawl... Bakugan stand! Let's win this Haos Lazuli!" Chinatsu said as threw Lazuli onto the gate card.

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's finish this Aquos Zerrilius!" Atticus said as he threw Zerrilius onto the gate card.

* * *

"Ability Activate! Feline Beauty!"

"Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!"

Saberus's claws were covered in a brown aura and she slashed them at Sentinel, who used Aerial Ace to dodge all the attacks. Saberus was panting heavily as she tried to keep herself onto her feet, while Sentinel stood calmly a few feet in front of her, untouched by any of her attacks.

"Let's finish this Theodore" Sentinel said.

"Right, Ability Activate! Ventus Night!" The battlefield was concealed in darkness. Sentinel's fists were covered in a flaming green and purple aura, and he charged forward at miraculous speed, aiming rapid punches and kicks at Saberus. Saberus glowed bright orange before landing at the girl's feet. The girl's life force dropped to 10 percent.

**Saberus: 1200(K.O) Sentinel: 2000**

"You're not so tough, I'm surprised I was even scared of battling you" Theodore smiled.

"Don't get your hoes up high, there's still a chance I can beat you" the girl said.

"Yeah, right. Like that will ever happen. Your life gauge has dropped to 10 percent, and from the display of the previous battle, it's obvious who's going to come out victorious.''

''Heh, that's right keep talking. Maybe I can pysch him out so I have an advantage of winning this'' the girl whispered to herself.

"Let's get this over with already. Gate card set. Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's end this battle once and for all Darktus Sentinel!"

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let me show you the true power of my Subterra Saberus."

**Sentinel: 700 Saberus: 950**

"Ability Activate! Pearl Mirror!" the girl shouted. Reflective barriers appeared around Sentinel like a cage.

"You think that's going to stop me? Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Sentinel shot out arrow like tendrils from his hands, but all they did was pass through the barrier and hit him from behind. Sentinel tried to use Darkening Glow again, but it ended up with the same results, this time reflecting off one of the mirrors in the corner.

**Sentinel: 800 Saberus: 1050**

"Pearl Mirror is an ability that not only traps your bakugan in a mirror-like barrier, but it also reflects any attack back at the opponent. How do you like that?" the girl smirked.

"If I can't use any of my abilities to get out, then I'll just do this. Gate card, open!" Theodore shouted, but the gate card still remained motionless. "What, how come my gate card won't open?"

"I forgot to mention. Pearl Mirror not only reflects your abilities but also stops you from activating your gate card. Now do you think I'm useless?" the girl said, but didn't give Theodore a chance to respond as she slotted a ability card into her gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Wild Burst Assault!" Saberus's claws were covered in a brown aura, and she charged forward, her body fazing through the barrier as she slashed her claws at Sentinel. Sentinel began to glow green before returning to his ball form before landing at Theodore's feet.

**Sentinel: 800(K.O.) Saberus: 1550**

_Theodore life force, 25 percent._

"Looks like your bakugan isn't so tough after all" Saberus said just before she returned to her ball form and landed in the girl's hands.

"I guess I underestimated you. You're not as weak as I thought you were, but just because you beat me this time doesn't mean that I'm giving up!" Theodore said.

"Determination, I like that. It wouldn't be that fun beating you unless you actually tried. Gate card set!" the girl said, throwing down her gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! It's time to finish this Saberus!"

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! We better not lose this one Sentinel!" Theodore said.

**Saberus: 950 Sentinel: 700**

"Ability Activate! Undead Power!" Theodore said, slotting the ability card into his gauntlet. Dark clouds covered the clear blue skies, thunder roaring over the battlefield. Purple lightning shot down from above, filling Sentinel with destructive energy, increasing his G-Power by 300.

"Ability Activate! Superior Subterra!" the girl shouted. Saberus's body began to glow bright orange before dying out. Saberus's claws became metallic and her eyes were glowing brown. Saberus's G-Power rose up to 1450Gs.

"Ability Activate! Angelic Storm!" Sentinel's body was concealed in a barrier of white aura, which was generated into his palm to form a spiky oval-like disc. Without wasting any time, Sentinel launched the disc at Saberus.

**Saberus: 1250 Sentinel: 1350**

"This is too easy. Ability Activate! Sandstorm Ferocity!" The battlefield slowly changed to a harsh desert scenery, and before long a sandstorm kicked in. Saberus charged forward, swinging its claws wildly at Sentinel as she hoped to disorient him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm ready for it this time! Ability Activate, Tornado Missile!" Thick tornadoes spun around the battlefield, clearing away all the sand, cancelling out the ability. "Now, Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Sentinel leapt into the air at lightning speed, striking Saberus with rapid kicks which Saberus wasn't able to dodge. Saberus's Gs slowly dropped after every hit.

**Saberus: 1150 Sentinel: 1450**

"Time to finish this! Triple Ability Activate... Darkening Glow..." Sentinel's body began to glow a white bright light, blinding Saberus. "plus Ventus Night..." the battlefield was blanketed in darkness, the only light was the dim white light of Sentinel's glowing body. "and Fusion Ability: Shadow Assault!" Sentinel began to glow bright white, before returning to his ball form and being replaced by Ravenoid.

**Saberus: 1050 Ravenoid: 1850**

"What? How is it that your bakugan was replaced with another bakugan but still entered with the same amount of Gs?" the girl asked, surprised by the new ability.

"Fusion Ability: Shadow Assault allows me to switch Sentinel out with another bakugan, but it enters at the same amount of Gs Sentinel left with. Now for the final touch, Double Ability Activate! Wind Resistance plus Piercing Storm!" Ravenoid began to glow fiery green as large tornados filled the battlefield. Ravenoid grabbed Saberus from behind at blinding speed and flew off the ground, before soaring down to the ground while spinning in a vortex.

"A triple ability followed by a double ability?! What kind of power is this?" the girl asked, shocked. Ravenoid let go of Saberus at the last second before plummeting to the ground. Saberus began to glow bright brown before landing at the girl's feet. The girl's life meter fell down to 0 percent.

**Saberus: 1050(K.O) Ravenoid: 2020**

"Look's like you are quite powerful. You finished me off in a flash before I had a chance to counter" the girl smiled as she picked up her bakugan from the ground. "It was fun battling with you. By the way, the name's Elise. I hope I get to battle you again the next time we cross paths."

Elise, like the white-haired girl, then disappeared from Theodore's peripheral vision, and Theodore was left standing in the park. Sentinel opened up in his palm. Even though he won the battle, he had learned his lesson. He and Sentinel won't become stronger if they don't battle. "What do you say we go find some more brawlers to battle?" Theodore asked, smiling.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"Ability Activate! Venom Stream!" Zerrilius shot out a beam of acidic water towards Lazuli.

"Ability Activate! Jungle Spirit!" Lazuli dodged the beam of water with ease, before charging forward at unbelievable speed and attacking Zerrilius with numerous kicks and scratches.

**Lazuli: 650 Zerrilius: 900**

"Keep it up, Lazuli-san. Ability Activate, Diamond Fangs!" Lazuli's sabertooth fangs and claws turned into diamond, and she bit into Zerrilius's side before scratching him in the face. Zerrilius stumbled back as it cried out in pain.

"Huh, so you aren't as weak as I thought you'd be. But this battle ends here. Double Ability Activate! Spitfire plus Venom Stream!" Zerrilius shot out two beams of acidic water and green poisonous water, which merged into one just before they hit Lazuli, knocking her to the ground.

**Lazuli: 150 Zerrilius: 1000**

"That's it, I'm done for. There's no way I can win this match" Chinatsu said, hanging her head down low.

"D-don't give up, Chinatsu. If there's anything I've learnt from being your partner, is that you never give up, even when it seems that all hope is lost" Lazuli said as she slowly got up from her knees.

"You're right, Lazuli-san. There's no point in me giving up now if, it'll just increase his satisfaction" Chinatsu said, determined. "Now, let's show this guy the true power of the Haos Attribute. Bakugan Trap Fencer, come out!"

**Lazuli/Fencer: 500 Zerrilius: 1000**

"Now let's end this battle once and for all. Triple Ability Activate! Electro Burst..." Lazuli shot a ball of light blue electricity towards Zerrilius, who tried to dodge it but in his injured state from Lazuli's last attack it was nearly impossible. Zerrilius stood frozen from the blast, completely paralyzed. "plus Sword Ravager and Electro Slash!" Lazuli and Fencer attacked Zerrilius's paralyzed body, Lazuli attacking with her electric claws while Fencer swung its sword wildly at Zerrilius's head. Zerrilius glowed blue before landing in Chinatsu's hands.

**Lazuli/Fencer: 1250 Zerrilius: 300(K.O)**

_Atticus Rosen life force, 0 percent. Winner, Chinatsu Tanaka._

"Yes, we did it, Lazuli-san. If you hadn't inspired me to get back up, I think I would've ended up losing you" Chinatsu said.

"Don't worry, you'll find that strength on your own someday" Lazuli said.

"What a great display of coordination and teamwork. Even though I lost, I always doubted that it would be that east defeating you" Atticus said as he held his hand up. Zerrilius glowed white before floating out of Chinatsu's hands and into his.

"What? Not again" Chinatsu whined.

"I'll be seeing you, our paths are destined to cross sometime" Atticus said, and like Elise, he too disappeared from Chinatsu's field of vision.

"Weird... Anyways, we should be getting back home. Mom and Dad are probably coming back so I don't want to get into any trouble" Chinatsu said worryingly as she broke into a run towards her house.

**Wow, I finally got this chapter done. I was procrastinating for the past two weeks about finish this, but after all the PMs I got about updating this fanfic, I finally got to work. A big thanks to all those people who sent me their characters. If they have showed up, they've been a great help. If they haven't, they'll be used for a major plot scene. In the next chapter? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on the reviews from now own. Until then, Skyrider is out! Deuces!**


	5. Eye of the Storm

**It seems like it's been a LONG time since I last updated, and for all the people who are currently reading this, thanks for sticking with me while I was M.I.A. Most of the reasons being school and homework, playing Pokemon White 2, and some procrastination, while I spent a bit of my time reconsidering whether I should keep my fanfiction account or not. Don't worry, I'm not deleting it just yet, there's still like a 50 to 83 percent chance that I might actually keep it, but until then, this fanfic will be my main goal to finish. So, for all the people who I am currently leaving on the edge of their seats because of my awesomeness—and the fact that I gave you a long time to wait for my next update…. Chapter 5, this one is for the fans!**

**Chapter 5: Eye of the Storm**

_**Friday, 11:00 PM, Abandoned Warehouse**_

"Explain to me, how four of my top brawlers, managed to lose to two amateur _kids_!" a white haired boy spoke. He had purple eyes with a yellow pupil. He wore a green hood jersey, a black t-shirt with a flaming skull design, black three-quarter shorts with a purple flame design at the ends, and red sneakers with a black streak. A white gauntlet with purple streaks was worn on his left arm.

"W-well, you see. T-the thing is—" Atticus, began.

"Silence!" the white haired boy interrupted. "I do not want to hear your constant rambling any more. Tell it to someone who cares, like the Exalted One!"

"Please, not the Exalted One!" another voice, which belonged to Flare, pleaded in the darkness, but it was too late. The boy pulled out a pure white bakugan from his pocket and threw it into the air. The bakugan froze in the air before it began to spin around, purple shockwaves being released all around them before they were transported into a different area. This area however, didn't look much like space. It was all purple and hazy, the loud cracks of thunder breaking the silence. In the middle of the ground was a purple orb, a shadowy bakugan like figure in the middle that resembled that of a dragon.

"Why have you summoned me?" the dragon-like bakugan spoke to the white haired boy.

"It has come to my attention that my elite team, the so-called people you chose to follow you" the white haired boy spoke, pointing towards the people behind him—which consisted of Flare, Atticus, and Elise. "Have failed to apprehend two brawlers, and thus have disgraced you and our ways of brawling."

"Is this true? Might I remind you that the last time you failed me I showed you some mercy" the dragon bakugan growled, causing the rest to shiver in fear.

"We ask for your forgiveness, o Exalted One. The people we were brawling didn't seem to be as weak as we had thought, and our own weakness to pity them was what caused our downfall" Elise said, bowing down. "One of them, by the name Theodore James, even had some sort of hybrid bakugan."

"A hybrid bakugan, eh?" the dragonoid bakugan said, clearly astonished. "Don't think I'm going to accept your apology just yet. However, there is one way you could gain my trust."

"Anything for you, Exalted One" they all said in unison.

"Bring me this so called hybrid bakugan and his partner. He may be a thorn in our side in the near future if we continue to let him grow stronger, and he could prove to be a strong ally if we recruit him."

"Thank you, master" they all said as they bowed down.

"You are dismissed" the dragon said. At once, the field around them slowly began to disappear, before they were once again transported back into the abandoned warehouse. Still dazed from their previous encounter with their master, the other three stood frozen in place.

"Well, what are you just waiting for? Be gone with you!" the white haired boy shouted, knocking them out of their trance. With a final "yes", they exited the warehouse, leaving the white haired boy. Or so they thought. "Aeolus, you can come out now" the white haired boy sighed.

A girl stepped out from the shadows. She seemed to be slightly older than the boy, with long turquoise hair that fell down to her ankles and light blue eyes. She wore a white long sleeved shirt, black jeans and black sneakers. She wore a pair of black gloves on her hands. "I want you keep an eye out on those guys, make sure they don't do anything stupid."

"Anything you desire, master" the girl said before retreating back into the shadows.

* * *

_**Saturday, 9:05 AM, Bakugan Interspace**_

"We're down to the last card, Sentinel! Better make this count" Theodore said, holding his last ability card in his hand. This battle seemed to be the toughest one yet, and like all the previous battles, had had a slight lead. His current opponent was a neighborhood friend called Titus. Titus was about twelve years of age with shaggy dark purple hair and green eyes. He was wearing a blue sleeveless sweater vest, a white t-shirt, blue three-quarter shorts and white trainers. Unfortunately for him, Titus seemed to know his way around the battlefield and was now putting up much more of a fight, and after taking out each other's Bakugan Traps, they were now both left with one last card to play, both their bakugan's G-Powers level at 500.

"After making it this far already, I'm not baking down" Sentinel said as he blocked a few punches from Titus's guardian bakugan, called Turtent. Turtent was a light blue turtle who could stand on two legs. His shell was equipped with two cannons that sat on his shoulders and another pair linked to his arms.

"Don't think you're winning this just yet! It's time for your curtain call!" Titus said. "Turtent, give it all you've got. Ability Activate, Hydro Pump!" Turtent's cannons began to glow began to glow bright blue before shooting a beam of water towards Sentinel.

**Turlent: 900 Sentinel: 500**

"Don't think we're just going to let you win this one!" Theodore said as he held his card out to Sentinel. "It's time we finally finished this battle once and for all! Ability Activate, Aerial Ace!" Sentinel, now engulfed in a light green aura, charged forward, moving as fast as lightning as he dodged the beams of water with ease as if it was air. He threw powerful punches and kicks into Turtent's stomach, knocking him to the ground.

**Turlent: 900 Sentinel: 600**

"_Both brawlers have no remaining cards left to play, battle terminated" _both brawlers' gauntlets sounded. Their bakugans began to glow their respective attribute color before returning to their brawlers. _"Titus Bloom wins by default!"_

The crowd applauded as both battlers walked towards the centre of the battlefield. Titus stretched his hand out, Theodore in return shaking his hand. "That was one heck of a battle you gave me, and while I may have won by default, you were the real winner in my opinion" Titus said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Don't sweat it, you put up much more of a fight than I expect, and it seems like you've improved quite a great deal" Theodore said, flashing his best smile. "Besides, I'm still new to all this 'guardian bakugan' stuff, so it _is _going to take some time getting used to it."

After a quick fist bump, both brawlers began to exit the arena. "There you have it folks, Titus Bloom and Theodore James" the announcer said, his voice fading in the background.

"That's one way to end the day, huh?" Theodore yawned as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Tell me about. Ever since you've put me on this tough training scheme of yours, my muscles have been crying for some rest" Sentinel groaned as he hopped onto his partner's shoulder.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to become stronger, and if I remember, you were the one who actually agreed to this in the first place" Theodore argued.

"Yeah, whatever" Sentinel grunted, clearly losing this round. Satisfied with his victory, Theodore unequipped his gauntlet and crammed it into his backpack as he made his way towards the lounge, but stopped in his tracks when two figures appeared in front of him almost out of thin air. Who couldn't really tell who the two where, seeing as the dark cloaks that they were wearing where shielding their identity. He tried moving past them, but they easily blocked his path.

"Okay, that was creepy" Theodore mumbled to himself as he pulled out his gauntlet. "You've got five seconds to move out of my way before I blast you into oblivion" Theodore said, hoping that his threat would scare them off. However, they just stood in place, which made him slightly ticked off.

"Okay, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way" Sentinel said as he hopped into Rat's hand.

"Wait a second, Sentinel, we can't just recklessly pick fights with random people who come our way" Theodore sighed, finally calming down. "Besides, we don't even know what they want."

"We want what every brawler ever dreams of" one of the figures said. Both figures then equipped both of their gauntlets, and Theodore swore that the voices both sounded familiar. As if a light bulb lit up inside his head, his eyes widened in terror.

"So, you finally decided to show your face…"

* * *

"Dang it, I'm going to be late" Chinatsu said as she rounded the corner of the sidewalk, an orange guitar case slung over her shoulder as she sprinted through the crowd. She was already late for her band practice, and due to her bike getting repairs and her parents were out of town for a business meeting, she had no choice but to go on foot.

It took her a while to reach the school campus, and by then she was already ten minutes late. Rushing through the school doors, she sprinted through the corridors until she reached the main hall, where the band practice was usually held if there weren't any functions held. Fortunately for her, no one was around, which was quite odd since band practice started exactly at 9:30, and no one seemed to be around. Usually her fellow peers were never late, but seeing as she had no choice but to wait for them, she set her case down and pulled out a chair from the numerous stacks.

Soon minutes turned into an hour, and yet no one had showed up. Coming up with the logical explanation that there was probably no band session being held today, she picked up her case and exited the main hall, and soon the school buildings. She was beginning to make her way to the gate when she spotted a shady figure standing underneath an oak tree near the gates. It didn't strike her as an odd occurrence at first, until she noticed that the guard, who was meant to be standing at his post, was knocked out, his body lying beside the figure. Although she couldn't really see who the figure was, the only distinguishing feature was the white and blue gauntlet equipped on his arm.

"It's so nice of you to finally drop in… Chinatsu" the figure said as it stepped into the light, and judging by the deep voice, Chinatsu guessed the person was male. The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show up."

"Gee, what are you, some kind of stalker?" Chinatsu said, her hands resting on her hips.

"You could say I'm your friend, or your enemy. It all depends on which context you're looking at it from" the figure said.

"Well, right now you're no friend of mine" Chinatsu said angrily as she pulled out her gauntlet from her satchel and equipped it onto her arm and pulled out her attribute card.

"Just what I was waiting for, a good battle to get my mind off of things" the figure said, pulling out a similar card of his own.

"GAUNTLET POWER STRIKE!" they both shouted as the time around them began to slow down before freezing.

"Are you ready for this, Lazuli-san?" the orange-haired girl said as she pulled out her partner.

"Please, I was born ready!" Lazuli said as she opened up in her partner's arm. "Let's show this creep whose boss!"

"That's the spirit. Gate card set!" Chinatsu yelled as she threw a Haos gate card, the card expanding as it hit the ground. "Bakugan brawl! Lazuli stand!"

"Bakugan brawl! Zerrilius stand!" the figure said.

**Lazuli: 750 Zerrilius: 800**

"There's only one person I know with that bakugan" Chinatsu said. "Why don't you stop hiding behind that hood and show your face… Atticus Rosen."

"So, you finally figured it out, huh?" Atticus said as he ripped off his cloak, revealing himself. "Though, I can't really say I gave you enough information to actually figure out who I am right up until this point."

"Why wouldn't I remember the jerk who I totally squashed the last time we met" Chinatsu smirked. "Enough talk, let's battle."

"Now you're speaking my language" Atticus grinned evilly.

"So, you finally decided to show your faces… Flare and Elise" Theodore said, as the two girls removed their cloaks, revealing their familiar faces.

"So you finally figured it out, huh? But our goals are still the same, except this time, we're bringing in live bait" Flare cackled.

"It's two against one, and our combined skill versus your amateur skills means that either way, you're still going to lose" Elise said, cracking her knuckles. "So, we can do this the easy way, or my favourite option… _my _way!"

"If you're so dead set on trying to even the score, let's settle our differences in the arena, not here" Theodore said. Tapping onto the screen of his gauntlet, a holographic screen popped up, one of the newly added features of the improved gauntlets. Clicking on an empty section on the map, they were all transported towards a nearby arena that didn't seem to be in use. "Perfect, now we can battle in peace without affecting anybody else."

"Less talking, more brawling. Gate card set!" Elise said as she threw her gate card onto the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Saberus stand!"

"Bakugan brawl! Ravenoid stand!" Theodore said, throwing his bakugan onto the field.

"Bakugan brawl! Nexus stand!" Flare said, following suit.

**Saberus: 950 Ravenoid: 580**

**Nexus: 900**

"Our combined power already adds up to 1850 Gs. Your move, Theo" Elise smirked.

"The number of Gs doesn't matter if you don't have the skill to back it up" Theodore said, placing his card in his gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Immobile!" Multiple Ravenoid clones appeared in a puff of smoke, a whole army now surrounding the two opposing guardian bakugan. "Now the real battle begins. Ability Card Activate, Raven's Fury!" The Ravenoid clones were engulfed in a light green aura before they charged forward.

**Saberus: 750 Ravenoid: 980**

**Nexus: 700**

"It's time to turn on the heat. Ability Activate! Fire Stream!" Flare said, activating her ability card.

"Let's roast this chicken!" Nexus roared as he shot multiple fireballs at the Ravenoid clones, successfully destroying all the clones and knocking the real Ravenoid to the ground.

"Now we're talking. It's time for some payback. Ability Activate! Feline Beauty!" Elise said, a small smile forming on her lips. Saberus's claws began to glow a light brown color before she slashed at Ravenoid, knocking him to the side.

**Saberus: 1000 Ravenoid: 580**

**Nexus: 1100**

"Their combined power is too much for Ravenoid to handle. I have to think of something quick or else I'm toast" Theodore grunted. "Ability Activate! Wind Resistance!" Ravenoid began to glow bright green before he shot towards Nexus, throwing wild kicks and punches.

**Saberus: 800 Ravenoid: 980**

**Nexus: 900**

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, your bakugan's toast!" Elise grinned. "Gate card, open! Sand Trap!" Huge pillars shot up from the ground, aligning to form a circle around Ravenoid. Ropes appeared from inside the pillars, coiling themselves around Ravenoid, trapping him. "Once the gate card Sand Trap has been played, it nullifies the opponent's last ability and blocks it from being used."

**Saberus: 80;0 Ravenoid: 580**

**Nexus: 900 **

"You think you're so smart huh?" Theodore taunted. "Well, think again. Ability Activate! Tornado Pandemonium!" A huge tornado appeared from within the card, destroying all the pillars in sight and destroying the gate card. "Now it's time to end it. Ability Activate! Piercing Storm!" The battlefield was now covered in large tornados, and Ravenoid body was covered in green flames. With a loud cry, Ravenoid charged down towards Saberus.

**Saberus: 800 Ravenoid: 950**

**Nexus: 900**

"My thoughts exactly… Ability Activate! Inferno Impact!" Flare said. Nexus charged forward, his body covered in flames as he bashed into Ravenoid, sending him into the wall, which left a huge crater in the ground where Ravenoid was meant to be. Ravenoid began to glow bright green before he returned to his ball form and landed at Theodore's feet.

**Saberus: 800 Ravenoid: 950(K.O)**

**Nexus: 1400**

"_Theodore James life force, 20 percent_" his gauntlet sounded as he picked up his bakugan from the ground.

"How do you like me now, huh? Your plan to take both of us out just went down the drain" Flare smirked as she folded her arms.

"Don't think I'm done just yet! I've still got a little of my life gauge, meaning there still is a chance that I can turn things around" Theodore said determinedly.

"Looks like you're ready to go. Good, I want to take you down when you're at your strongest" Flare grinned.

"Gate card set!" Theodore said, throwing down his gate card. "This one's for my Falconeer. Bakugan brawl! Sentinel stand!"

"Bakugan brawl! Saberus stand!"

"Bakugan brawl! Nexus stand!"

* * *

"Ability Activate! Soft Paws!" The underside of Lazuli's paws had a bright yellow glow as she sprinted towards Zerrilius, throwing multiple palm attack in order to disorient him.

**Lazuli: 950 Zerrilius: 600**

"Starting strong, I see. Good, that just makes defeating you all the more fun" Atticus smirked as he pulled out a card from his pile and slotted it into his gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Spitfire!" Zerrilius shot a stream of green poisonous water from his mouth, but Lazuli leaped to the side at the last second, barely avoiding the attack.

**Lazuli: 800 Zerrilius: 700**

"That was too close for comfort. Come on Chinatsu, fire me up with another ability" Lazuli said.

"No problem. If we can't hit him in close range, we'll just have to win this one using long range" Chinatsu said. "Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!" Lazuli roared, a beam of yellow shockwaves crashing into Zerrilius, sending him skidding backwards.

**Lazuli: 1200 Zerrilius: 700**

"Isssss that the ssssstrongessssst move you got. That ticklessssss" Zerrilius laughed.

"Don't get sidetracked, Zerrilius! Stick to the plan" Atticus groaned. "If you want to play the long range game, don't think we can't either. Ability Activate! Poseidon's Trident!" Zerrilius shot a beam of water from his mouth and hands, which then formed into one as they smashed into Lazuli, paralyzing her.

**Lazuli: 800 Zerrilius: 900**

"What happened? Why can't I move my body?" Lazuli growled as she struggled to move, but to no avail.

"Poseidon's Trident is a special ability card that not only cancels out the previous ability that was used by his opponent, but also paralyzes his opponent for the next two rounds. Meaning that until that happens, you're now a sitting duck for my amusement" Atticus smirked.

"If you think I'm going to back down that easily then you've got another thing coming" Chinatsu said. "Come Bakugan Trap: Fencer!" She pulled out a white dodecahedron shaped bakugan before throwing it onto the field, her Bakugan Trap forming into its true form as it landed onto the gate card. Fencer was a golden sword with thin arms that held a sword in one hand and a circular shield in the other.

**Lazuli/Fencer: 1150 Zerrilius: 900**

"Sending out your Bakugan Trap now? Are your battling skills really that weak?" Atticus said which caused Chinatsu brave demeanor to falter. Her lips began to tremble and she wasn't able to think straight. Fortunately for her, Lazuli saw this.

"Don't listen to him, Chinatsu. You're the best brawler I know, and I believe that you have what it takes to take down this creep once and for all" the Haos bakugan said, trying to encourage her partner. Chinatsu's face instantly lit up as he faced her partner.

"You're right, Lazuli. We've beaten this creep once before and we can do it again" the Haos brawler said. "Until you're free, I'll just have to make do with Fencer."

"Don't sweat it, I know Fencer here has the ability to protect both me and you in the toughest of situations" Lazuli said.

"If you're not going to make the next move, I will. Ability Activate! Serpent's Song!" Atticus said, annoyed. Zerrilius screamed, sending a beam of purple shockwaves towards Lazuli and Fencer.

**Lazuli/Fencer: 1150 Zerrilius: 1100**

"Don't think you're getting rid of us that easy. Ability Activate! Emperor's Shield!" Chinatsu yelled. Fencer got into a shield stance and a yellow hexagonal shield surrounded the two Haos bakugan, the beam effortlessly smashing into the shield without doing any damage.

**Lazuli/Fencer: 1550 Zerrilius: 1100**

"How in the world? I was sure that attack was going to have a direct hit!" Atticus said, his eyes widened in surprise.

"You're not the only one with surprises. Ability Activate! Sword Ravager!" Chinatsu smiled. Changing into his attacking stance, Fencer charged forward, swinging his sword wildly at Zerrilius.

"Surprises don't mean anything when you're going up against a skilled brawler like me" Atticus growled. "Ability Activate! Viper's Cry!" Zerrilius sprayed green venom onto Fencer, which caused him to turn into his ball form, taking him out of the battle. Atticus grinned, but his confident demeanor soon fell when he realized that the paralyzing effect had worn out, giving Lazuli full control.

**Lazuli: 1200 Zerrilius: 1100**

"Finally, I was wondering when that ability was going to wear off" Lazuli said, cracking her knuckles. "Now, let the real fun begin!"

"Dang it. If your partner there wasn't such an annoying prick I would've finished you off by now" Atticus grunted.

"But you didn't, and now it's our time to shine. Ability Activate… Diamond Fangs" Chinatsu said. Lazuli's saber tooth fangs and claws turned into diamond, and with a small smile, she sprinted towards Zerrilius, slashing her claws at the serpent-like bakugan.

**Lazuli: 1200 Zerrilius: 700**

"You're not getting rid of us that easy. Ability Activate! Venom Stream!" the Aquos brawler shouted. Zerrilius shot a beam of acidic water at Lazuli, but she easily ducked underneath before striking Zerrilius on his chest, before finishing him off with a bite to the neck. Zerrilius cried out in pain as he returned to his ball form and landed in Atticus's hands.

**Lazuli: 1000 Zerrilius: 900(K.O)**

_Atticus Rosen life force, 80 percent._

Lazuli roared victoriously, before returning to her ball form and back to her partner.

"How's that for an amateur brawler, eh?" Chinatsu taunted.

"Once again, it looks like I underestimated you, but you won't be so lucky this time" Atticus said as he pulled out a silver card with a flaming skull design in the middle and a scythe running through it. "Silent Card, set!" He said, throwing the card on the battlefield, before it sunk into the ground. "Gate card set. Bakugan brawl! Rise Aquos Zerrilius!"

"Bakugan brawl! Haos Lazuli stand!"

* * *

"Ability Activate! Feline Beauty!" Saberus charged forward, her claws covered in a brown aura as she slashed them at Sentinel.

"Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!" Sentinel's wings flashed white before they turned into diamond. He used his wings to shield himself from Saberus's attack, but couldn't see Nexus charging in from behind.

"Ability Activate! Pure Spiral!" Nexus's claws began to glow white as he lunged towards Sentinel, spinning in a circular motion as he bashed into Sentinel's back, sending him to the ground.

**Sentinel: 600 Saberus: 1150**

**Nexus: 1200**

Even though the battle had just began, the amount of damage Nexus and Saberus had done to him had already left him panting and weak, his body covered in numerous bruises. It was even a miracle that Sentinel was able to stand up.

"Come on, buddy. Just hang in there a little further!" Theodore said, trying to encourage his partner. "Ability Activate. Undead Power!" Purple lightning shot down from the sky and struck Sentinel, who was now glowing bright purple, his wounds all beginning to fade away. "Now, ability activate. Aerial Ace!"

**Sentinel: 1100 Saberus: 1150**

**Nexus: 1200**

"You think that a little power up like that is going to defeat me—" Nexus laughed, but was interrupted when Sentinel smashed his fist into his face, sending him tumbling backwards. Saberus tried to attack Sentinel, but Sentinel dodged so fast that it looked like he didn't move at all, and then released a fury of kicks into Saberus's body, knocking him to the ground.

"Looks like the little kid isn't playing around anymore. We won't too" Flare said as she placed her card into the slot of her gauntlet. "Weak brawlers like you have no place in Bakugan Interspace, so I'll just finish what I started months ago. Ability Activate! Alpha Assault!" Nexus split into three clones, each of them circling around Sentinel.

"Looks like you're doing pretty good against the two of us. Now let's see how you do against the four of us" Nexus smirked.

"Ability Activate! Superior Subterra!" Elise said. Saberus began to glow bright brown before it died now. Now, her claws and spikes were metallic, and she too joined the circle, before they all lunged for Sentinel at once. Sentinel flew into the air, but they were hot on his trail. One of the Nexus clones slashed at him, but he ducked underneath and punched it into the stomach. The Nexus clones exploded in a cloud of smoke. It wasn't long before the other clone attacked, and he too was defeated. However, Sentinel failed to notice Saberus creeping up from behind, until he felt something scratch him on the back, knocking him to the ground.

**Sentinel: 1100 Saberus: 1450**

**Nexus: 1400**

"Even if I try, they'll still just knock Sentinel back down again somehow" Theodore said. "If I'm going to win this, I need to even the odds. Come, Bakugan Trap Oragon!" Theodore said, throwing the green spherical ball onto the battlefield.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 1370 Saberus: 1450**

**Nexus: 1400**

"Now that I've even the odds, it's time to turn to the tables of this battle. Ability Activate! Destiny Flight!" Oragon jumped into the sky, his scarf transforming into a pair of wings as he soared above Saberus and Nexus. Aiming his hands down at his opponents, Oragon shot purple bolts of lightning from his palms, striking Nexus and Saberus. "Now, Sentinel. Follow it up with Darkening Glow!"

"Finally, some firepower that useful" Sentinel said, forming a purple ball of energy in his palms. "Have this!" Arrow-like tendrils shot out from the orb, striking Saberus and Nexus from all sides. While Nexus stood firm and tall, Saberus was knocked out of the battle, returning to Elise's feet.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 1570 Saberus: 1050 (K.O)**

**Nexus: 1000**

_Elise Ryder life force, 40 percent. _

"Seriously, do I have to do everything myself?" Flare said. "Now when I'm through with you, I'll take that bakugan of yours as a trophy to the Exalted One, then he'll have to forgive me. Ability Activate! Turbo Nova!" Nexus cloaked his body in pure white flames, bashing into Sentinel, who was now on the ground, slowly getting up to his feet.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 1070 Nexus: 1500**

"I-I'm on my last legs, m-man. I d-don't think I can go any f-further" Sentinel said.

"Pitiful, it was fun while it lasted, but now it's time to finish you off for good" Flare smirked.

"Oh no you don't. Ability Activate! Full Moon!" Oragon's eyes began to glow purple before he flashed a beam of light at Nexus, which caused him to go momentarily blind, stopping him in his tracks.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Nexus: 900**

"What the—what in the world just happened?" Flare said, clearly annoyed.

"Full Moon is a special ability that allows me to bring all the bakugan being played back to their base G-Level, and the combined G-Powers of Sentinel and Oragon puts me at 970Gs while you're still down at 900" Theodore smirked. "This is the moment we've finally been waiting for, Sentinel. Ability Activate! Ventus Night!" The whole battlefield was covered in darkness. Sentinel's hands and feet were now cloaked in a purplish-green aura, and he charged forward, striking Nexus with a combination of kicks and punches. Nexus began to glow red before falling down at Flare's feet, dropping her life gauge down to 20 percent.

**Sentinel: 1470 Nexus: 700(K.O)**

"Looks like we're tied. But I assure you, I don't plan on losing to you anymore" Elise grunted.

"Don't make promises you can't keep" Theodore taunted as Sentinel returned to his ball form and back into his hands. "Are you ready for this next one, Sentinel? These guys are pretty tough, so we have to go all out from the start."

"I'm always ready. These two girls and their bakugan are going to be doing the same this next round, so we better not disappoint" Sentinel said.

"Are you done having your little chat there or are we actually going to do some brawling here?" Flare said. "Gate card set. Bakugan brawl! Nexus stand!"

"Bakugan brawl! Sentinel stand!"

"Bakugan brawl! Subterra Saberus, stand!"

**Nexus: 900 Sentinel: 700**

**Saberus: 950**

"Let's end this quick. There are other brawlers who are waiting in line to lose their bakugan" Flare smirked. "Ability Activate! Inferno Impact!" Nexus's body was covered entirely in flames as he sprinted towards Sentinel.

"Don't think this battle's over just yet. Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Theodore shouted. Sentinel shot up into the air, just dodging Nexus's flaming figure.

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel: 900**

**Saberus: 900**

"Hey, don't forget about me. Ability Activate! Feline Beauty!" Saberus's claws were engulfed in a brown aura and she jumped up towards Sentinel, smashing his claws into Sentinel's chest.

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel: 500**

**Saberus: 1200**

"Looks like these girls are through playing around. I need to step up my game if I want to keep my bakugan" Theodore cursed. "Come Bakugan Trap Oragon!"

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel/Oragon: 770**

**Saberus: 1200**

"Now, Double Ability Activate! Velocity Burst…" Oragon began to glow a fierce green aura. He charged at Saberus's, knocking her into the sky with a powerful kick to the stomach before shooting up in the sky, finishing it off wiith a strong punch that knocked her back down, leaving a large crater in the ground. "Plus Angelic Storm!" Sentinel was engulfed in a bright white light, which then formed into a spiky oval disc in his hand. With a loud cry, he shot it towards Nexus, sending him a few feet back. However, he merely shrugged it off before getting back up.

**Nexus: 900 Sentinel: 1670**

**Saberus: 1000**

"If that's the best you've got, then this battle has already been decided" Nexus laughed.

"Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. Theodore, you know what to do" Sentinel said.

"On it. Ability Activate! Darkening Glow" Theodore smiled. Sentinel formed an orb of purple energy in his hands, tendrils shooting out of the orb, all aimed at Nexus.

"Ability Activate! Turbo Nova!" Flare said blankly. Nexus cloaked his body in white flames before charging towards Sentinel. The tendrils smashed into Nexus, but he simply kept going, seeming unfazed by the powerful attack. He smashed his body into Sentinel, sending him skidding into the wall with a loud thud.

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270**

**Saberus: 1000**

"Hope you haven't forgotten about me. Ability Activate! Superior Subterra!" Elise said. Saberus's claws and spikes became metallic, before scratching Oragon on his chest, sending him to the ground. Oragon cried out in pain as he returned to his ball form, landing on the ground next to Theodore.

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel: 1000**

**Saberus: 1300**

"Dang it. Looks like trying to handle two opponents by evening the odds didn't work out after all" Theodore said to himself, clenching his fists. "Sentinel's probably running low on energy, seeing as he's never had to handle two different opponents at once, and with my life gauge already low, it seems as though my next move will be my last."

"Looks like you need some help, kid" a voice said out of nowhere. Theodore looked up to the stands to see a tall boy with dark skin. He had short black curly hair and brown eyes. He wore a black jacket with black jeans, and black trainers. A pair of fingerless gloves were worn on his hands. A brown gauntlet was equipped on his arm. He pulled out a brown bakugan from his pocket. "Bakugan brawl! Subterra Gravelon, stand!"

Subterra Gravelon was a rock-like golem covered in dark brown armor, which consisted of a chestplate with the orange Subterra symbol, and legwear. He had a circular face which was covered in a jade face and arms were light brown, and he had red eyes. A gigantic hammer was held in his left arm.

**Nexus: 1400 Sentinel: 1000**

**Saberus: 1300 Gravelon: 700**

"Looks like another brawler who wants to get his butt creamed" Elise grinned evilly.

"Talk is cheap. Let's see how you do against my buddy Gravelon" the dark skinned boy said, jumping off the stands to where Theodore was standing.

"This will be a piece of cake if your Bakugan only has a base G level of 700" Flare said. "Ability Activate! Pure Spiral!" Nexus's claws had a faint white glow as he lunged at Gravelon, spinning the air, his claws leaving a trail of white, raising his G-Power by three hundred.

"You're pathetic if you think you're going to take out Gravelon with a weak move like that" the dark skinned boy said as he placed his ability card in the slot of his gauntlet. "Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!"

"Batter up!" Gravelon said as he smashed his hammer into Nexus's side, knocking him into the wall of the arena.

"What?! I was sure that attack would leave a dent but Nexus barely made it anywhere close to that bakugan" Flare said, her eyes bulging in surprise.

**Nexus: 1700 Sentinel: 1000**

**Saberus: 1000 Gravelon: 1000**

"At least now, you'll take me seriously" the dark skinned boy said.

"Now it's my turn. Ability Activate! Feline Beauty!" Elise said. Saberus's claws were shielded in a brown aura as she charged forward, aiming her claws at Gravelon.

"Ability Activate! Great Hammer!" The aura coat around Saberus's claws slowly died down as she closed in on Gravelon, and once she was in range, Gravelon swung his hammer at Saberus, sending her to the ground, shaking the ground itself as the hammer connected with the ground.

**Nexus: 1700 Sentinel: 1000**

**Saberus: 800 Gravelon: 1200**

"If you can't take me seriously, then that's your own fault" the dark skinned boy shouted angrily, before turning his attention to Theodore. "Hey kid, right about now would be a good time to make a move. I don't want to be doing your dirty work for you."

"Oh right, sorry about that" Theodore said as he hastily got to his feet. "Sentinel, are you still okay to battle?" He asked his injured partner.

"They're just a couple of bruises. Tough opponents haven't taken me down before, so why should I stop now?" Sentinel said, using all his strength to get to his feet.

"That's the spirit. Ability Activate! Angelic Storm!" Sentinel was engulfed in a bright white light, which then took the form of a spiky disc in his hands before he threw it at Nexus, who was just getting back up to his feet. The attack sent him skidding backwards, but he managed to get up at the last second.

**Nexus: 1300 Sentinel: 1400**

**Saberus: 800 Gravelon: 1200**

"Let's make this fair. I'll take the Subterra chick while you handle the one with the bear, got it?" the dark skinned boy said, but didn't give Theodore enough time to answer as he turned his attention to Saberus, who was just getting up. He looked up towards his guardian bakugan. "Hey, Gravelon, you ready for round two?" the bakugan just nodded in response. "Fusion Ability Activate! Maguinity Colossus!"

Gravelon's hammer disintegrated, his fists now covered in a brown aura. He sprinted towards Saberus, throwing a fist at her.

**Saberus: 800 Gravelon: 1500**

"You're not taking us down that easy. Ability Activate! Superior Subterra!" Elise said. Saberus's claws and the spikes on her back turn into metal. She leapt over Gravelon's fist and scratched Gravelon's face, but it didn't seem to have any effect at all.

**Saberus: 1100 Gravelon: 1500**

"I finally got close to him, but my attack didn't even leave a dent" Elise grunted.

"Are you done not taking me seriously yet?" the dark skinned boy said.

"You want serious? I'll give you serious. Ability Activate! Wild Burst Assault!" Elise growled. Saberus was covered in a blazing brown aura, and she charged towards Gravelon.

**Saberus: 1600 Gravelon: 1300**

"Ability Activate! Mountain Tundra!" the dark skinned boy shouted. Gravelon formed a slab of rocks round his body, shielding himself from Saberus's attack. Saberus's fiery aura began to dissipate as she got nearer, and simply smashed into the protective barrier.

**Saberus: 1100 Gravelon: 1500**

"Now that you're done embarrassing yourself, it's my turn. Ability Activate! Copycat!" Gravelon's fist turned metallic before he thrust it forward, his fist connecting with Saberus's chest, sending her flying. Saberus glowed brown before landing at Elise's feet, dropping her life gauge straight down to zero percent.

**Saberus: 1100(K.O) Gravelon: 1800**

At that current moment, Sentinel and Theodore were in a heated battle against Flare and Nexus.

"Ability Activate! Inferno Impact!" Flare said. Nexus's body lit up in flames as he charged towards Sentinel.

**Nexus: 1800 Sentinel: 1000**

"Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Theodore yelled. Sentinel generated an orb of purple energy into his hands before releasing the tendril beams, striking Nexus from all sides. It didn't exactly nullify the ability, but managed to stop the attack for a short period of time. "Now Sentinel, Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Sentinel shot forward with lightning speed, striking Nexus with powerful punches that sent Nexus to the ground.

**Nexus: 1700 Sentinel: 1400**

"Before this battle ends, I just wanted to thank you, Flare" Theodore said.

"Thank you for what? The fact that I'm going to be leaving this arena with your bakugan?" Flare smirked.

"No, thank you… For allowing me to recognize just how strong Sentinel and I can be if we work together as a team" Theodore said, before pulling out an ability card from his pile. "Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!" Sentinel was engulfed in a bright white light, before Ravenoid entered the battle, taking his place.

**Nexus: 1700 Ravenoid: 1980**

"I will avenge Falconeer, one way or another" Theodore said seriously as he pulled out two cards from his pile. "Double Ability Activate! Wind Resistance plus Piercing Storm!"

Raging winds circled around Ravenoid, his whole body now glowing a bright white light as he smashed into Nexus, both bakugan engulfed in a bright white light. A few seconds later, both bakugan returned to their brawlers, both their life gauges falling to zero percent.

"_Both bakugan are unable to battle. Battle terminated" _their gauntlet's said. Theodore suddenly felt dizzy, his body tilted from side to the side as he struggled to balance himself. He could feel himself slowly fading in and out of consciousness, before he fell down to the floor. The last thing he saw before he passed out was the sight of the dark skinned boy rushing to his aid.

* * *

"Don't get cocky, Chinatsu. We still haven't seen all of his tricks yet, so we need to be alert when he strikes" the Haos bakugan said to her partner.

"Don't get cocky, be alert. Got it!" Chinatsu nodded in response.

"Ability Activate! Venom Stream!" Atticus said, an evil grin plastered on his face. Zerrilius shot a beam of acidic water from his mouth towards Lazuli.

**Zerrilius: 1000 Lazuli: 550**

"Ability Activate! Jungle Spirit!" Chinatsu said. Lazuli dodged the beam of water with ease, before moving in for the counterattack, her body moving so fast as if she was teleporting in midair as she sprinted towards Zerrilius, striking him in the stomach his her palm, knocking him a few feet backwards.

**Zerrilius: 900 Lazuli: 650**

"Ability Activate! Serpent's Song!" Atticus said blankly, unfazed by the damage Lazuli has just inflicted on his partner. Zerrilius screamed, sending a beam of blue shockwaves towards Lazuli.

"If he can send out a beam of shockwaves, so can we. Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!" Chinatsu said. Lazuli let out a fierce roar, sending out a beam of yellow shockwaves. Both beams soon clashed as they reached the middle, sending the two bakugan flying a few metres back.

**Zerrilius: 1200 Lazuli: 950**

"We're still trailing behind, Chinatsu. We need to pick up our pace" Lazuli said as she got to her feet.

"Right. Ability Activate! Electro Slash!" Lazuli's claws grew out and were now surrounded in yellow electric sparks. She sprinted forward, aiming her claws at Zerrilius's chest. However, the odd thing was that Atticus didn't do anything, and ended up letting his bakugan take the hit.

**Zerrilius: 900 Lazuli: 1250**

"Why isn't he fighting back?" Chinatsu said, noticing the strange behavior of her opponent.

"Don't worry about it. The faster we finish him off, the quicker he'll stop bothering us" Lazuli said reassuringly.

"Let's finish this. Ability Activate! Electroburst!" Lazuli generated a ball of blue electricity from her mouth, blasting it towards Zerrilius. "

**Zerrilius: 900 Lazuli: 1700**

"Time to act, Zerrilius. Ability Activate! Metal Fang!" Atticus said, snapping back to life.

"Thought you'd never assssk" Zerrilius asked, his whole body turning into metal as he absorbed the ball of electricity.

**Zerrilius: 1350 Lazuli: 1250**

"So he chooses now to attack? Just what game is this guy playing?" Chinatsu said.

"If he only chooses to attack now, then he's planning something devious" Lazuli said, taking a fighting stance. "And something tells me we're in for the fight for our lives".

Atticus typed on the screen of his gauntlet before a holographic image of a blue hexagonal prism flashed up. _'Ready, Pincer' _his gauntlet sounded. He wrapped his hand round the prism before throwing it onto the field. "Battle Gear, Boost!" Two gauntlets formed on Zerrilius's hands, which were connected to some sort of battery pack on his back.

"Stay steady, Chinatsu. If decided to only bring out his Battle Gear now, then it seems as though he's not holding back anymore" Lazuli said, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Gate Card, open! Aqua Surge!" A blue fire soon consumed Zerrilius, give him a G-Power boost of 300Gs.

"I can feel the incredible power, coursssssing through my veinsssssssss" Zerrilus grinned, basking in the glory of his power.

**Zerrilius: 1650 Lazuli: 1250**

Battle Gear Ability Activate, Energy Drain!" Atticus said. Two wires with pointed ends shot out of each gauntlet and into Lazuli's chest, draining her power into the battery pack, decreasing 300Gs. Once Zerrilius was done, Lazuli instantly felt fatigued, unable to even get to her feet.

**Zerrilius: 1650 Lazuli: 950**

"Lazuli's what's wrong? Are you okay?" the Haos brawler said, quickly rushing to her bakugan's aid.

"I can get up, if that's what you're referring to, but that attack drained a lot out of me, even if it was only 300Gs" Lazuli panted, her hands on her knees.

"Don't worry, Lazuli. I'll take care of that" Chinatsu said as she pulled out an ability card from her pile. "First, let's take care of that gate card. Ability Activate! Chi Block!" Lazuli's hand began to glow bright yellow before he punched the ground, shattering the gate card.

**Zerrilius: 900 Lazuli: 950**

"Now, Ability Activate! Diamond Fang!" Lazuli's saber tooth fangs into diamond as she sprinted towards Zerrilius, however she was a tad slower due to the Energy Drain.

**Zerrilius: 500 Lazuli: 950**

"Battle Gear Ability Activate! Supreme Voltage!" Zerrilius's gauntlets were surging with blue electricity as he shocked Lazuli just as she was about to pounce, releasing a massive load of electricity into her body, sending were into the ground.

**Zerrilius: 900 Lazuli: 950**

"Now for the final touch. Battle Gear Ability Activate! Plasma Beam!" Zerrilius shot a pair of blue plasma beams towards Lazuli, which struck her in the chest, sending her into the ground. Lazuli began to glow yellow before she returned into her ball form and into Chinatsu's hands, knocking her out of the battle.

**Zerrilius: 1300 Lazuli: 750(K.O)**

_Chinatsu Tanaka life force, 15 percent. _

"Sorry Lazuli, my best wasn't good enough to defeat him" Chinatsu said, saddened by her loss.

"It wasn't your fault, Chinatsu. We weren't prepared for him before, but we'll be ready for him now" Lazuli said determined, putting a smile on her partner's face. "If we give it all we've got, then I'm sure we can beat him again. After all, we did defeat him last time." Chinatsu said, getting up from the ground.

"That's the spirit. I believe in your abilities, Chinatsu. I mean, why else would Citra pass me down to you if she didn't believe in you as well?" Lazuli said.

"I guess you're right, Lazuli. We'll keep fighting for Citra, win or lose" Chinatsu said, a determined grin forming on her lips. "Gate card set! Bakugan brawl! Haos Lazuli, stand!"

"Let's end this quickly so that I can take your bakugan" Atticus said, his eyes shifting from green to yellow, which surprisingly went unnoticed. "Bakugan brawl! Aquos Zerrilius, stand!"

**Lazuli: 700 Zerrilius: 800**

"Okay, Atticus's life force is 80 percent, while mine's down to 15 percent. The only two ways I can win this is to either destroy his bakugan now, or go into another round, but I doubt Lazuli will even be able to last that one" Chinatsu said. "So, I'll just have to go with option one. Ability Activate! Jungle Spirit!"

Lazuli body was radiating a light yellow glow before she sprinted forward at lightning speed, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

**Lazuli: 800 Zerrilius: 700**

"If you think you're going to overpower Zerrilius and I with an attack like that, you're sorely mistaken. Ability Activate! Spitfire!" Atticus said. Zerrilius spat out a shot a beam of green water at Lazuli, but she quickly ducked underneath it, smashing her palm underneath Zerrilius's chin. Zerrilius landed on the hard floor, but quickly got back up.

**Lazuli: 650 Zerrilius: 1100**

"Now Lazuli, Abilty Activate… Electro Slash!" Lazuli outgrew her claws, which were now surrounded in yellow electric sparks. A small smile forming on her lips, Lazuli charged forward, aiming her claws at the Aquos bakugan.

**Lazuli: 950 Zerrilius: 800**

"Come on, Zerrilius. Let's pick up the pace" Atticus argued with his bakugan. "Ability Activate! Serpent's Song!" Zerrilius shot a jet of acidic water at Lazuli, successfully knocking her backwards, but she managed to keep her balance.

**Lazuli: 750 Zerrilius: 1000**

"Gate card, open! Haos Reactor!" The ground beneath them flashed yellow, Lazuli covered in a bright yellow aura, increasing her current G level by three hundred and decreasing Zerrilius's G-Power.

"Big deal, so what if you increased your G-Power? That power increase won't do you any good. Ability Activate! Poseidon's Trident!" Zerrilius shot a beam of water from his mouth and hands, which then combined to make a single beam as they neared Lazuli.

**Lazuli: 650 Zerrilius: 1100**

"I'm not falling for that trick again. Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!" Lazuli roared, sending out a wave of yellow shockwaves that clashed with the water beam, easily defeating the beam before smashing into Zerrilius's chest.

**Lazuli: 1050 Zerrilius: 1100**

"Looks like you're going all out, huh? Good, that means I will too" Atticus said as he typed something on the screen of his gauntlet. _'Ready, Pincer'_ his gauntlet sounded, showing the image of the blue hexanogal battle gear. "Battle Gear, boost!"

"Dang it. We didn't even stand a chance against the Battle Gear the last time. Even with our full strength, I doubt we'll still stand a chance" Chinatsu said, the sight slightly dropping her morale.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. The only thing you need to do is fire me us with enough abilities to take down this creep" Lazuli said, taking a defensive stance.

"Good luck with that" Atticus said sarcastically. "Battle Gear Ability Activate! Supreme Voltage!" Zerrilius shot out a beam of electricity towards Lazuli, but she easily jumped to the side. Zerrilius tried again, but the result was the same.

**Lazuli: 850 Zerrilius: 1100**

"Ability Activate! Soft Paws!" The underside of Lazuli's paws began to glow a faint yellow glow color. She charged forward, throwing numerous palm attacks at Zerrilius.

**Lazuli: 1050 Zerrilius: 900**

"I was wondering when you were going to do that. Battle Gear Ability Activate! Energy Drain!" Atticus said as Lazuli was closing in on Zerrilius. Zerrilius smirked as he shot a pair of wires from his gauntlets onto Lazuli's chest, draining most of her energy which then filled up the battery pack. Lazuli fell to the ground, panting as she tried—and failed—to get to her feet.

**Lazuli: 850 Zerrilius: 900**

"No! Lazuli!" Chinatsu said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Battle Gear Ability Activate! Plasma Beam!" Zerrilius generated a ball of blue energy into his hands before firing it at Lazuli, sending her flying into a tree. Lazuli began to glow yellow, returning to her ball form and landing by Chinatsu side, who was now on her knees, tears rolling down her face.

**Lazuli: 650(K.O) Zerrilius: 1300**

_Chinatsu Tanaka life force, O percent. Winner, Atticus Rosen._

"Well, that was a solid win for us" Atticus said as the field around them slowly returned to normal, his eyes shifting back to their original color. He began walking away when Chinatsu's voice stopped him.

"W-wait. You're n-not going to take my b-bakugan?" Chinatsu stammered.

"Not today though. For once, someone actually gave Zerrilius a real challenge" Atticus shrugged. "So I want to see you grow stronger as a brawler. That's when I'm going to take your bakugan." And like their last meeting, Atticus disappeared from her peripheral vision.

Chinatsu then turned her attention towards her bakugan, which was lying by her side. "Don't cry, Chinatsu. You know it pains to see you like this" Lazuli said.

"I thought I almost lost you, Lazuli-san" the Haos brawler said, cradling her bakugan.

"Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt from this" Lazuli said, which caught the attention of her partner. "Atticus and Zerrilius are a really strong team, and like he said, he'll be coming for us one day. So we have to become stronger if we want to settle the score. Besides, winning won't get us anywhere. Its better we lost this one, that way we can come back even stronger than before."

Chinatsu briefly nodded before getting to her feet, wiping away her tears before walking out of the school, an even greater challenge lying before her on the path to becoming stronger.

* * *

Rat squinted as he opened his eyes, the bright light of the arena filling his eyes. He slowly got up to his feet to find Sentinel sitting by his side. Apart from the light headache and aching muscles, everything else was okay.

"Uh, what happened?" Theodore said, unable to recollect his memories.

"You passed out after you defeated that Flare chick. The two girls pretty much ran away after that. Then that dark skinned boy gave me this note before leaving" the hybrid bakugan said, a small piece of paper next to him.

"Oh right, now I remember" Theodore said as he grabbed Sentinel and the note. Slowly opening it up, the piece of paper had some writing on it, and it wasn't until his headache had subsided that he could actually make out what it said:

_Call me when you want to become stronger_

_Moses Harington._

**Wow, that goes in the SkyRider Writing Hall of Fame for longest chapter ever written, which I beat by 2985 words ( that's right, I did the math.) Well, sorry to keep you guys waiting, hope this was as exciting as my previous chapters, hopefully even better. Until then, it's now time to keep you guys waiting again for Chapter 6 for about two months or so. Before I close, thanks to all those people who actually took their time to read this fanfiction and review. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Also, thanks to the people who actually submitted in OC's, really appreciated. For those whose OCs still haven't shown up, you'll just have to wait until they do show up, which is going to be a while since I haven't even thought of a plan for Chapter 6. Oh, and can someone please tell me if this chapter, or any other chapter has any spelling errors? I'm not really into proof reading 5000 words of pure awesomeness, it's just write, edit and post. Until then, SkyRider out.**


	6. Change

**Happy New Year to all fellow readers and fanfictioners out there! Has it been 5 months already? Time really flies back when you're chilling and having fun! OK, so maybe that wasn't exactly what I saw doing. I can admit that the first month I was trying to find and idea for Chapter 6, which I was failing at in the most epic way possible. Not to forget the piles of homework I was receiving nonstop. I swear that the teachers actually held a grudge against me. So, after some hard work and a few copied work from Google, I'm finally here. November was for NaNoWriMo, which I had also given up on due to the massive piles of homework ("Thank you teachers" I say sarcastically). So most of you would've probably been thinking that I would've updated first thing this December. However, luck didn't seem to be on my side as I was trying—and failing—to come up with an idea that would suit my needs. Fortunately, after some help from Switch-on-97, I was able to get up back onto my feet, and begin writing this Chapter, which I actually wrote a plan for, for the first time since I had started off this fanfic. Yes readers, most of the stuff I had written was mostly the first thing that came up from the top of my head, so I wouldn't mind if I got any negative reviews from this. Unfortunately, my mother, being a prick, decided that I wasn't doing enough work around the house, and decided to ban me from using my own laptop. Although I still use it in secret, which was how I was able to even write this in the first place. I was supposed to update this on New Year's, but I was too busy procrastinating and playing games (Why does life become so difficult when you get your own laptop?). So without further ado, since I've kept you waiting for all these four months, and some people probably would've given up reading this and gone straight to the chapter because of how boring and insanely long this is (why am I even stalling this chapter in the first place?) I give you: **

**SIX: CHANGE**

"_Please! No more!" a girl's voice that sounded much like Elise, coughed as she fell to his feet, pleading for mercy as another figure, cloaked in the darkness of the warehouse, only smirked evilly. _

"_Maybe if you had done as I had asked and gotten rid of that… __**kid**__, then we wouldn't be here, but seeing as the both of you—" the white haired boy said, gesturing towards Elise and Flare "—had actually done your job and gotten rid of Theodore ASAP, the least I can "reward" you with is some sort of punishment." Suddenly, the boy's eyes had now lost its original color, and was now a sinister shade of yellow. "I didn't think it would come to this…"_

"_P-please Master, it w-wasn't our fault, he had some h-help" Flare pleaded, trying to find some way out of the torment she was about to receive. _

"_Either way, you were meant to take care of him like I had asked, help or not" the boy said grimly. A small spherical figure then rolled onto his shoulder, before popping open, revealing a plain white Bakugan with purple accents._

"_To be honest, this boy you speak managed to take down to of your most elite team" the bakugan spoke. "Seeing as these two had failed you twice now, it seems that this boy really is a force to be reckoned with, and if we allow him to let loose and train for much longer, then he might just be as strong as you—"_

"_No one is as strong as me, and nobody ever will be!" the white haired boy said as he punched the wall, raising his voice to the point where he was almost shouting._

"_All I'm saying is allow these pawns here to rest and send somebody else who can actually get the job done" the bakugan said harshly, much to Flare and Elise's annoyance. The white haired boy pulled himself into his thoughts, scratching his hair as he pondered on what the Bakugan was saying. In the end, he merely shrugged. _

"_I guess you're right, if these two won't get the job done, then I better send somebody who will" the white haired boy finally spoke as he folded his arms and hung his head down, his eyes returning to their original colour as he whispered a few words foreign to the English language under his breath. It wasn't long before the sound of quiet steps filled the silence and each of them turned towards the source of the voice, revealing the white haired boy's right hand-man—or should I say girl—Aeolus._

"_Ah, Aeolus, so glad of you to join us. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show" the white haired boy said, cracking a small smile for the first time that day. _

"_I am ready to serve you in any way I can" Aeolus said in a monotone voice, bowing down at the boy's feet._

"_There is a certain… 'matter' I need you to take care of" the boy said, pacing around the room. "You see, due to these two's inability to take care of a little pest I would've assumed they would've taken care of without any trouble, I have decided for you to take their place instead, and take of this boy instead, since I know you are my trusted advisor and will get the job done."_

"_If I may interrupt, sire, is it okay if I can get some background information of my target before I engage him in a battle?" Aeolus questioned. _

"_Do as you please, just make sure you get rid of him… for good" the boy said, dismissing Aeolus before turning his gaze towards Flare and Elise. "I do not want the pair of you to displease Our Master any more than you already have, time is barely on our side and I don't want another group of "Battle Brawlers" chasing us down. I except you to train if you ever want to regain Our Master's trust. That is all."_

_With Flare and Elise dismissed, the white haired boy then turned his gaze towards the glass ceiling, his eyes fixed on the full moon above him. "Soon, the Earth will crumble under our strength… And no one will be able to stop us. Not even the Brawlers!"_

* * *

After the long school day, Theodore found himself lying down on the sofa in the living room, staring at the small note he had received just a few days ago. _"Call me when you want to become stronger." _The phrase was literally glued to his mind. After what happened just a few days ago, he was beginning to doubt his brawling skills. He had almost lost Sentinel, and for a brawler who's only experienced that feeling only once in his career, it left him pretty shaken.

The sound of the door opening broke him out of his trance, and was now met with the warm gaze of his mother, who despite the numerous plastic bags she was carrying didn't seem to mind at all. "Oh, hello Theodore" his mother said, clearly surprised. "I didn't realize you were home. Can you do me a favour and help me with these bags?"

Theodore merely shrugged as he pulled himself off the sofa, his mother handing him a couple of bags as they began to pack everything into their respective areas. Almost as if she had sensed her son's gloomy mood, Mrs. James turned towards her son. "Are you OK? You don't seem as cheered up as you usually do" she asked worryingly.

"I'm OK Mom, no need to worry about me" Theodore said, hoping that his Mom would just drop it and he'd continue on with his life, but she didn't seem so convinced. In truth, he really wasn't alright. After that battle with Flare and Elise, only one thing was certain: he was weak. He was just too used to brawling with ordinary bakugan, and was basically a newbie when it came to brawling with Guardian Bakugan, and charging into a battle recklessly didn't seem to be working.

"Are you sure? Usually you'd be begging me to go outside and do whatever you kids do these days. What was it called again? Bakuman… Battleman…"

"_Bakugan_,Mom, at least get it right once in a while" Theodore said, rolling his eyes as he sighed deeply. "But seriously, I'm okay, I just want to stay inside today."

"Who are you and what did you do with my son?" Mrs. James said, raising her eyebrow at her son. "Honestly, all the times I tell you to stay inside you're begging me to go outside, but the one time I allow you to go outside you want to stay inside. Is it Opposite Day already?"

Theodore let out a small laugh at his mother's joke. "He finally smiles. What a miracle!" Mrs. James joked. "But seriously, you need to get out more often, even though you do so already. If you're not going to do it for yourself, do it for me okay?"

"So you're pulling out the Mom card now huh?" Theodore said, folding his arms.

"Had to happen sooner or later" Mrs. James laughed as Theodore sighed.

"Fine, I'll go outside" Theodore said, raising his arms in defeat. Theodore grabbed his backpack from the ground and lazily made his way outside. His gaze fell on his bike, was sprawled across the pavement, just beside the garage. He contemplated cycling around the city until he was tired enough, but decided against it and ended up on a casual stroll, going wherever the sidewalk took him.

"I'm finally free!" Sentinel said, jumping excitedly out of Theodore's pocket as he rolled onto Theodore's shoulder. "So, any more opponents that you've hooked me up on? I can't wait to get battling!"

"Sorry Sentinel, but it doesn't look like we'll be brawling, much less anytime soon" Theodore mumbled, his mind brought back to his previous battle, his facial expression darkening.

"Come on man, you've been like the this for the past few days, all gloomy and depressed, and it's really starting to mess up our coordination" Sentinel said angrily. "You need to get over it. One loss shouldn't affect your overall performance."

"One loss? ONE LOSS?! I almost lost you Sentinel. It may not mean much to you, but for me, someone who's only joined this Guardian Bakugan-partner gig, it kind of puts me off my game" Theodore said raising his voice, but slowly calming down. "You're my first ever partner Sentinel, and I don't want to lose you."

"I know, and I get that too. But this is exactly why we need to find that Moses guy to make you—make _us _become stronger. Hopefully he can get you out of this… phase" Sentinel said.

"But even if we could, we don't even know where to find him. There weren't even any contact details or address on the paper" Theodore sighed. "Guess we're stuck on our own for now—"

"Hey! Theodore!" a familiar voice cut him off. A smile tugged on the corners of Theodore's voice as he turned to face his best friend, Chinatsu. Unlike her usual attire, she wore a dark purple long sleeved t-shirt and black shorts, accompanied by her trademark purple sneakers. Her bright orange hair, which was usually done in two long pigtails, which now done in a side braid that hung over her shoulder.

"Sup Chinatsu. What's got you all dressed up?" Theodore said, his previous darkened mood now completely forgotten.

"Oh, I'm going to meet Citra today. I kind of need help about… something" Chinatsu said, choosing her words carefully. Despite being her best friend, Chinatsu didn't want to tell Theodore about her real reason for visiting Citra. Theodore, however, knew it was pretty obvious that Chinatsu was hiding something, since she was a terrible liar, but didn't ponder on it too much. He didn't really know much about Citra, only that she was the one that gave Chinatsu her Guardian Bakugan, Lazuli, but apart from that he's never met her, and Chinatsu doesn't like to talk about her much.

"Do you need someone to accompany you? I don't really have anywhere to be, and you look like you need some company" Theodore offered.

"Really?" Chinatsu squealed, her eyes glinting with hope.

"I mean, i-if you're o-okay with it t-that is…" Theodore said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah sure, whatever" Chinatsu said, trying to sound casual, but ultimately failing.

The walk to Airedale Hospital was one with little words, the two friends only exchanging words about what they were planning to do afterwards, but nothing to make the conversation more interesting. It wasn't long before they found themselves at the wide doors of Airedale Hospital, each letting out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"Well, I guess this is my stop. I've already brought you this far, I guess it's high time I started my own journey" Theodore said quietly.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow…" Chinatsu said awkwardly. Theodore was only able to salute goodbye before they both made their way to each of their destinations. A few minutes later, Theodore found himself sitting on a small bench in the park, watching a few kids trade cards as they argued with of their bakugan was stronger than the other. Theodore smiled, he had honestly missed the times when he wasn't brawling for his own survival. Just watching those kids brought back so many memories of his own brawling days. However, the only one he could remember was that day…

Theodore felt something tugging on the sleeves of his jersey, drawing him out of this thoughts. Slowly opening his eyes, he met the tear-eyed gaze of a small kid with messy black hair and brown eyes. Tears streaked down his face, the helpless bow trying not to let any more mucus fall down his face as he sniffed his mucus back into his nose.

"H-hello Mister, c-can you pl-lease help me? I l-lost my bakugan to my friend over t-there—" the boy said, pointing to another overly determined kid with spiky hair "—and I d-don't have any other b-bakugan left to defeat h-him."

"Uh, I don't know, kid…" Theodore began to say, until Sentinel cut in.

"Come on man, just this once. It's been a while since we've brawled, and I REALLY need to stretch my legs" Sentinel pleaded. Theodore tried to say no, but the puppy dog eyes made him think otherwise.

"OK kid, you've got your wish" Theodore said, finally giving in. Getting up onto his feet, Theodore challenged the spiky haired kid to a brawl. At first, the kid's trash talk almost intimidated him, but like a kid, he didn't have much skill, and he defeated him with time to spare. After giving the kid back his bakugan, Theodore sat back onto his seat, replaying the events that had just unfolded before him. He was just about to lock himself back into his thoughts when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"I thought I might find you here. Then again, I didn't give you much to start off with anyway" the voice said. Snapping his eyes open, Theodore found himself face to face with none other than Moses Harington himself. A smirk tugged on the corners of his lips as he leaned on the edge of the bench, his guardian bakugan—Gravelon, if Theodore recalled—sitting on his lap.

"YOU!" Theodore said, startled by Moses's unexpected appearance as he jumped off the bench. "What are you doing here anyways?" Theodore asked, curious as to how Moses had found him in the first place.

"Well, finding you here was more of fate than planned. I was just taking a casual stroll along the park—the one place where I can actually clear my head—until I spotted you going to help that kid out" Moses said, scratching his head. "I would've excepted you to notice much earlier, but it seemed as though you were lost in your thoughts, so I decided to say hello. Besides, I was beginning to wonder why you haven't decided to take up my offer."

"I would've, but you decided not to leave any contact details on this scrap piece of paper you gave me" Theodore said, swinging the note around in his hands.

"Hey! Don't blame up, I was just… uh…" Moses trailed off, Theodore raising his eyebrow as he waited for an answer. After what seemed like eternity, Moses continued. "I was, uh, just making sure that you would get the note as planned. If it had fallen into the wrong hands, then who knows who might show up at my doorstep."

"Yeah sure" Theodore said, clearly not convinced.

"Anyway, we're getting off topic now. I didn't just come here to say hello" Moses said as he pulled out a brown gauntlet with light brown accents and strapped it onto his arm.

"So you decided to train me?" Theodore said, his eyes widening at the thought of becoming a much more experienced brawler.

"First of all, let's see if you're good enough to be trained" Moses said, a smirk falling on his face once more. Theodore laughed lightly as he pulled out his gauntlet from his bag, and a black card with the six attributes. Moses soon followed suit, pulling out a similar card.

"GAUNTLET POWER STRIKE!" they both yelled, the surroundings around them slowly beginning to slow down until they were frozen in time.

* * *

Chinatsu took a few breaths as she stared at the door in front of her. Number 106. Citra's room. It had been a while since she had visited her, and like then she was just as nervous. She hadn't planned on what she was going to tell Citra, but she was the only person she knew that could help her. After all, she _was _the only person besides her that had ever wielded Lazuli in a battle, and their previous bond might help her understand her partner in more depth in order to work together as a well-oiled machine.

Chinatsu felt Lazuli roll up onto her shoulder, and she too stared at the door in front of her, which seemed like a big step for both of them. "Do you think you're really ready to see her?" Lazuli said worryingly. "You don't have to go in if you don't want to."

"If I don't do it now, Lazuli-san, then when will I do it, when will I be ready?" Chinatsu sighed. "It's better to do it now than any other day, or else we might never accomplish Citra's dream."

Lazuli only nodded, as though she understood why her partner was there in the first place. After taking a few more breaths, Chinatsu cautiously reached for the doorknob, her palm shaking with fear.

"You know, if you're just going to come in, you might as well come in, unless you plan on staying outside for next hour or so" a voice said from the inside, startling both Chinatsu and Lazuli. Chinatsu froze at the sound of the warm, quiet voice. _How did she know we were outside? _Chinatsu thought.

Finally mustering up the courage, Chinatsu twisted the doorknob and stepped into the room. Laying on the large hospital bed was a tall Indonesian girl with warm brown eyes and long black hair that fell down to her shoulders. She smiled as she turned her head to face Chinatsu and Lazuli.

"Hello, Chinatsu and Lazuli. It's been a while since I've seen you. Make yourself at home" the girl spoke. "I don't usually get company, and although the silence allows me to wonder what will happen to me after I get out, it's always nice to have a few visitors once in a while, especially if it's you two."

"H-hello C-Citra. It's finally n-nice to s-see you t-too" Chinatsu stuttered, unable to find her voice. It had always left her stunned when she saw her longtime friend was lying in the hospital, strapped to a bunch of machines as they fought to keep her alive. She had always felt fortunate because of this, because it could've happened to anyone else, even her, but she hated the fact that out of everyone in the world, it had to be Citra.

"So, what's the story today? Usually you don't tend to visit unless something troubling you" Citra said. "Although I do hope it isn't, because I really feel I've been missing out too much of the world. Maybe we could catch up on old times, eh? What's Bakugan Interspace like these days? It's been a while since I've battled, and I really want to know how much you've moved up in your rankings since our last meeting—"

"Well, actually, there _is _something troubling me, but it's really nothing major" Chinatsu cut in, before stopping herself. She laughed lightly as she smacked her forehead with her palm. "You know what, forget I even asked. Let's just do what you did instead and catch up on old times."

"You know it's not really good to bottle up your problems like that" Citra said. "It doesn't matter; we can catch up about our lives at another time. Right now we really need to help you first."

"Do we really have to? I mean, like I said it's really nothing major—"

"We're doing it now whether you like it or not. Don't try to argue, you have no say in this" Citra said, which silenced Chinatsu. Sometimes, Chinatsu thought Citra sounded more like her mother than her friend, which actually kind of scared, but it just showed how much she cared. The fact that she was willing to deal with her problem first rather than catching up on all the days she's missed crammed inside the small hospital room just showed how much she had changed since their last meeting, both physically and mentally. "So what's the problem this time?"

Chinatsu then began to recall the battle she was engaged in with Atticus just a few days ago, and how easily he had overpowered her since their last meeting and had almost lost Lazuli in the process. As she continued on with the story, Chinatsu felt the pain coming back to her, and she had to fight back tears with all of her willpower. When she finished, Chinatsu stared at Citra, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Well, I kind of get what this story is explaining, the fact that you want to become stronger just because you had almost lost Lazuli" Citra said breaking the silence, leaving Chinatsu once again amazed at how she was able to deduce all that just from the short story she had told her. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, since you were Lazuli-san's previous partner, I thought you might help me understand Lazuli-san much more as a bakugan, so that we can work better as a team" Chinatsu said, the once embarrassed gaze disappeared from her face, which now held a more determined one. "Please, Citra, I need your guidance. Help me to become a better brawler."

* * *

"Gate card set!" Moses said as he threw down a gate card onto the ground, sending a light brown shockwave around the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Subterra Gravelon stand!" Gravelon bellowed with all his might as he landed onto the battlefield, the same menacing aura that he had in Theodore's previous encounter still visible.

"Bakugan brawl! Ravenoid stand!" Theodore said, throwing the bakugan onto the battlefield, much to Sentinel's disappointment.

**Gravelon: 700 Ravenoid: 580**

"How come you didn't send me out? You know how much I've been dying to fight a good opponent" Sentinel whined.

"Chillax Sentinel, I know what I'm doing. I've got everything under control" Theodore said, trying to calm down his partner.

"Or do you? Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!" Moses yelled. Gravelon began to swing his hammer as he charged towards Ravenoid, sending it to the ground.

**Gravelon: 1000 Ravenoid: 580**

"'I have everything under control, I know what I'm doing'" Sentinel said, mimicking Theodore's voice. Theodore only grunted in response as he pulled out an ability card from his deck and slotted it into his gauntlet.

"Just stand aside and watch me do my thing. Ability Activate! Immobile!" Theodore said, multiple clones of Ravenoid shot up in puffs of smoke beside the original Ravenoid. The Ravenoids all charged towards Gravelon, but they were beaten just as easily as the original.

**Gravelon: 800 Ravenoid: 780**

"Tsk-tsk. Still not strong enough I see, maybe this battle is a waste of my time" Moses said feigning a yawn, only angering Theodore further.

"Oh, you want power, I'll give you power! Double Ability Activate! Wind Resistance plus Piercing Storm!" Ravenoid was engulfed in a blazing green aura, harsh winds surrounding him as he flew at high speeds towards Gravelon.

**Gravelon: 600 Ravenoid: 1350**

"Ability Activate! Mountain Tundra!" A slab of rock formed a protective barrier around Gravelon, shielding him from the attack.

**Gravelon: 800 Ravenoid: 780**

"Maybe you're beginning to overestimate your abilities if you think you've got what it takes to defeat us!" Gravelon laughed.

Theodore growled angrily as he slotted in another ability card. "Ability Activate! Shadow Raven!" Ravenoid pulled out a bunch of kunai from underneath his armor, which were encased in light green flames, and fired them all towards Gravelon. However, they merely bounced off his armor, leaving Theodore back to square one.

**Gravelon: 700 Ravenoid: 880**

"I think it's time we put these two in their place, don't you agree Moses?" Gravelon said.

"So soon? But I was just beginning to enjoy this battle" Moses said sarcastically, but complied either way. "Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated, and a second later Gravelon's hand was now covered in a light brown aura. Letting out a loud battle cry, Gravelon charged forward, striking Ravenoid on the chest and sending him out of the battle.

"What? Is the battle over already?!" Theodore exclaimed, surprise and doubt overcoming him as Ravenoid's ball form rolled onto the floor beside him.

**Gravelon: 1000 Ravenoid: 880(K.O)**

_Theodore James' life force, 80 percent._

Moses chuckled as he caught Gravelon in his arms. "C'mon Theodore, I thought you were better than this, but clearly you're nothing but a one hit wonder" Moses said, hoping to infuriate Theodore, which he did. Theodore cursed under his breath before pulling out a gate card.

"You want power? I'll give you power! Gate card set!" Theodore said angrily, throwing down his gate card. "You ready Sentinel? It's about to get serious."

"Serious and ready are two of my middle names" Sentinel said, determined. "Stop stalling and just throw me in already."

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's show them true power, Ventus Sentinel!" Theodore yelled as he grabbed Sentinel off his shoulder and threw him onto the battlefield.

"He sure talks a lot for someone who's just lost a battle. Let's end this now, Moses" Gravelon said, closing his ball form and landing into Moses's palm.

"Couldn't have said it any better myself" Moses said as he threw Gravelon onto the gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! You know what to do, Subterra Gravelon!"

**Gravelon: 700 Sentinel: 700**

"Let's see how well you do against this. Ability Activate! Darkening Glow!" Sentinel began charging up a ball of energy, which then separated into arrow-like tendrils at shot towards Gravelon.

**Gravelon: 600 Sentinel: 900**

"Ability Activate! Mountain Tundra!" A slab of rocks formed around Gravelon like a protective shell, shielding him from the purple tendrils.

"Dang it! Not enough power" Theodore said, doubt once again overcoming him.

"Now that we're done with that _petty _display, let's show the what real power is" Gravelon said.

"Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!" Gravelon began swinging his hammer as he charged forward. Sentinel tried his best to dodge the blows, but was unable to see the blow coming from the side, sending him to the ground.

**Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 900**

"Uh, Theodore, now would be a good time for boost" Sentinel choked as he steadily got to his feet.

"Just one sec…" Theodore said, trying to find an ability card that might help him in this situation. "Umm, Ability Activate, Aerial Ace."

Sentinel's body was covered in a faint greenish glow which died down just as quickly as it had started. Sentinel shot off the ground at an unimaginable speed, circling Gravelon from high above before swooping down, aiming his fist at Gravelon's chest.

**Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 1100**

"Ability Activate! Great Hammer!" Sentinel could feel the aura around him slowly diminishing and his speed slowly decreasing as he neared Gravelon, who began swinging his hammer for a powerful blow.

**Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 900**

"Theodore, we have a problem!" Sentinel shouted, the space between him and Gravelon decreasing. Gravelon readied his hammer before throwing straight to Sentinel. "Hurry up Theodore, or else I'm going to get creamed!" Sentinel shouted, a few seconds away from his ultimate demise.

"Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!" Theodore said just before the hammer came into contact with Sentinel's body. Sentinel's wings turned into diamond as he shielding himself from the blow. However, he wasn't strong enough to withstand the full force of the blow and was knocked to the ground. Sentinel stood on one knee, his body covered in multiple scratches and bruises. Gravelon, who stood grinning on the other side of the battlefield, totally unscathed.

**Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 1000**

"Looks like your Sentinel over there can't seem to handle the heat" Moses mocked. "This battle is kind of going back and forth and not really that interesting. Why don't we just end this and save you the misery of your bakugan?"

"A-ability A-activate… Ventus N-Night!" Thedore said. The whole battlefield was encased in a blanket of darkness, Sentinel's eyes and feet now shielded in green flames with purple wisps. Sentinel sprinted towards Gravelon, throwing a fury of rapid punches and kicks at Gravelon.

**Gravelon: 600 Sentinel: 1500**

"This is the opening we've been seeking, Gravelon. Double Ability Actvate… Copycat plus Fusion Ability: Aegis Break!" Gravelon's body turned from stone in diamond, shielding him from the multiple blows that Sentinel was throwing at him, completely rendering Theodore's ability useless. Gravelon then began to match Sentinel's blows, smashing his fist into his while countering a kick with another. It went on for another few blows before Gravelon found an opening, smashing his rock-like fist into Sentinel, smashing him into the ground.

"He copied Diamond Edge?!" Theodore shouted, surprised, doubt once again overcoming him.

**Gravelon: 1100 Sentinel: 800**

"Time to finish this Gravelon! Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated in a flash of brown light, which was then transferred to his arm, covering it in a dark brown aura. Gravelon began running forward, smashing his fist straight into Sentinel's body and knocking him out of the battle.

**Gravelon: 1400 Sentinel: 800**

"_Theodore James life force, 15 percent" _Theodore's gauntlet sounded as Sentinel landed beside his feet, signaling his defeat. _One more battle and we're toast, _Theodore thought as he picked Sentinel thought sadly as he picked Sentinel off the ground.

"I have to say, that battle was much more interesting than the first one, tougher too" Moses said as he caught Gravelon in his arms, pulling out a gate card from his pile and holding "it in front of his face. Theodore could merely nod as Moses threw the gate onto the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Subterra Gravelon, stand!"

"Bakugan brawl. Ventus Sentinel, stand" Theodore said, but with less enthusiasm.

**Gravelon: 700 Sentinel: 700**

"Ability Activate… Undead Power" Theodore said, once again in a monotone voice. The clear sky was covered in dark clouds, the booms of the loud thunder breaking the peaceful sound of the calm breeze. Purple lightning shot out from the sky and struck Sentinel, leaving him covered in a purple aura, boosting his speed and strength.

**Gravelon: 700 Sentinel: 1000**

"Boosting our powers, are we? That's not going to save you when you're going up against this" Moses grinned, slotting an ability card into his gauntlet. "Gate card open! Subterra Lockdown!" A coliseum formed around the two bakugan, the ground beneath them turning into sand.

"That's your greatest plan, a coliseum battlefield?" Sentinel mocked, folding his arms. Gravelon began to lose his patience and wanted to attack, but Moses stopped him.

"Wait for it" Moses said, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Ability Activate. Angelic Storm" Theodore said, but nothing happened. Theodore tried again, but ended up with the same result.

"It's no use, once Subterra Lockdown is activated, any opponent that doesn't have the Subterra attribute is unable to activate any more abilities" Moses said. "Now it's our turn to attack! Ability Activate! Gaia Smash!"

Gravelon charged forward, aiming his hammer at Sentinel, who was unable to defend himself as he succumbed himself to the pain of the blows.

**Gravelon: 1000 Sentinel: 1000**

"Theodore, going to need some backup here" Sentinel coughed, ignoring the pain his body was put through and getting to his feet.

"Oh, right" Theodore said, typing a few buttons on his gauntlet before a spherical Bakugan showed up. "Come Bakugan Trap, Oragon!"

**Gravelon: 1000 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270**

"Ability Activate! Destiny Flight!" Theodore said, finally regaining momentum. Oragon flew up into the sky before letting a fury of purple bolts rain down on Gravelon, inflicting some damage and leaving a few dents in his armor.

**Gravelon: 700 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270**

"It's going to take more than that to defeat Gravelon and I" Moses said as Gravelon got back to his feet.

"Exactly" Gravelon said.

"Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated in a flash of brown aura, his fist now concealed in an orange flame as he charged forward, throwing a fist at Sentinel.

**Gravelon: 1000 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270**

"That's not going to save you now. Ability Activate! Full Moon!" Oragon's eyes began to glow purple before shooting a beam of light all around the battlefield, blinding Gravelon and stopping him in his tracks. Soon, the light quickly died down, bringing all bakugan back to their base power levels. The coliseum arena around them also vanished from sight, leaving the battlefield as it was before.

**Gravelon: 700 Sentinel/Oragon: 970**

"Now that Subterra Lockdown has been nullified, Sentinel can now use his abilities again" Theodore grinned, slotting an ability card into his gauntlet. "Now Sentinel! Ability Activate, Angelic Storm!" Sentinel's body was concealed in a white aura, which formed into an oval disc slightly above his palm. With a loud battle cry, Sentinel shot the disc towards Gravelon, sending him to the ground.

**Gravelon: 500 Sentinel/Oragon: 1270**

"Moses! I don't think I can take any more of those blows!" Gravelon growled angrily as he began to get to his feet.

"Got it. Time for our backup" Moses said as he typed something into his gauntlet. _"Ready, Hypershot" _Moses's gauntlet sounded. "Battle Gear Boost!" Moses shouted as the Battle Gear equipped onto Gravelon, forming a trio of cannons fitted onto his back.

"Wait a second, Battle Gear?!" Theodore said, his eyes literally bulging out his head, as this was the first time he had encountered Battle Gear.

"Battle Gear Ability Activate! Hypershot!" The cannons fired out multiple bolts of brown energy towards Sentinel and Oragon, increasing Gravelon's power level by 200Gs whilst also dropping each bakugan on the field back down to their base Power Levels. Sentinel was able to withstand the blows of the cannons, but Oragon wasn't so lucky, the beams instantly knocking him out the battle.

**Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 600**

_Theodore James's life force, 5 percent._

Sentinel fell to the ground, his body covered in multiple bruises and cuts. He tries several times to get back up, but the pain from the previous blows kept him down.

"It really is a shame, though" Moses said lazily. "I thought your Sentinel was actually going to be a challenge for Gravelon, but it seems as though he's just a one hit wonder."

"Don't listen to him Theodore. I can keep going as long as I want" Sentinel said, hoping for perhaps a reply from Theodore, but nothing came. Sentinel looked down towards his partner, who had now fallen to his knees, his eyes refusing to meet his. "Uh Theodore, are you okay?"

"We can't win…" Theodore said in a monotone voice, so much like a whisper that Sentinel almost didn't hear his words.

"What are you saying? Of course we can win, we've come this far haven't we, and we can't quit now!" Sentinel said, trying to motivate his partner, but nothing seemed to be working.

"Don't you get it Sentinel? We've been nothing but a ball of yarn to him. He could've finished us just as easily as he did in the first round, and it's clear to me now that our differences in both skill and power are too wide for us to win this battle…"

* * *

Citra chuckled lightly at Chinatsu's response, much to Chinatsu astonishment. "Seriously? That's why you came all this way, for my help?" Citra laughed.

"What's so funny about that? This is a serious problem we're talking about here" Chinatsu said, almost trying to conceal her disappointment.

"Which is exactly why I'm going to tell you what I told you when I first gave you Lazuli" Citra said, wiping the tears of laughter away from here eyes. "All you need to do is trust Lazuli. She already trusts me enough for me to give her away to you—adding to the fact that she also trusts you and your abilities, or else she wouldn't have agreed to being your partner in the first place. Your job now is to believe in Lazuli just as much as she believes in you, and you can both go a long way."

"Easier said than done" Chinatsu huffed, crossing her arms. "That doesn't really help me in this situation. What I really want to know is how you were such a really good brawler when you had Lazuli-san?"

"It's because I believed in Lazuli, and through that I was able to look beyond my limits. It didn't matter how strong my opponents were compared to Lazuli and I, but because that trust—that bond, was there, we were able to defeat even the toughest of foes" Citra said, turning her head to face Chinatsu.

"What I don't get is, why would you hand Lazuli-san over to me if you had such a strong connection?" Chinatsu asked, stunned by Citra's words.

"Because I saw something special in you. When I first looked at you, I didn't see some shy little kid who was too scared to face her fears. I saw… a part of myself inside you, and it was because of that that I knew you were going to do extraordinary this, much greater goals than I had ever dreamed to accomplish. I knew that with the right guidance, you would grow into as great a brawler as I was, probably even better. I handed Lazuli over to you because you needed her more than I do—you still do—and because I saw a great connection between the two of you, and that you could carry her on a much more prosperous journey."

Chinatsu seemed glued to the spot, her eyes widening with surprise and happiness, Citra's words touching her heart. Before she could even register what to do next, she felt Citra's arms wrapping around her, bringing her into a warm hug. Tears of joy spilled down Chinatsu's face as he hugged Citra back, slowly bringing her confidence back. When they finally parted, Chinatsu was hastily wiping the tears off her face while Citra looked at her with proud determination.

"I want you to become stronger on your own, and find a path that will bring both you and Lazuli happiness" Citra said. "Will you promise me that?"

"I p-promise" Chinatsu stammered, both girls sharing one final hug before Chinatsu departed from Citra's room, a newfound confidence shattering through her barriers, a smile tugging on the corners of her lips. It wasn't long before Lazuli rolled onto Chinatsu shoulder, finally breaking the silence.

"Do you think Citra's words helped you regain your confidence?" Lazuli said.

"Not really, all she did was make me realize the truth" Chinatsu said, stopping for a moment before she held Lazuli in her palm. "I'm sorry I wasn't being fair to you, Lazuli-san. I should've trusted in my own abilities, but most of all I should've put my faith in you."

"I'm glad to here it. From now on, we're going to keep moving forward with Citra's promise, and make sure we accomplish her dream" Lazuli said determinedly.

"Forward…" Chinatsu smiled.

* * *

"Come on Theodore, you're the best brawler I know. The Theodore I knew wouldn't back down from a challenge, and he certainly won't back down now" Sentinel said.

"Listen to your bakugan, Theodore. Don't you remember all the fun times you've had as a brawler?" Moses said, causing Theodore to flashback on all the events that had led up to this one. _The first time the cards started falling from the sky… the first time he had ever brawled… when he had met Chinatsu… When Sentinel had crashed through the window… His win against Amy and Streak Blazer… His near loss against Flare and Elise… _All these moments brought a smile onto Theodore's face, and he slowly began getting back up onto his feet.

"You're right. I guess all this time I've just been rushing blindly into battles forgetting the one important thing about Bakugan… to have fun" Theodore said. "From now on, win or lose, all that matters is that we keep moving forward."

"Yeah! There's the Theodore we all know and love!" Sentinel said, finally finding the strength to pull himself back onto his feet.

"So, he's finally returned to his original state" Gravelon said.

"Why don't we stop with all this chit-chat and continue straight on from where we left off? That is, if you're up for the challenge" Moses taunted.

"You bet. Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!" Sentinel was covered in a light green aura as he shot forward towards Gravelon, letting loose a fury of melee attacks, sending Gravelon a few feet backwards.

**Gravelon: 900 Sentinel: 800**

"You think that's going to stop us? Battle Gear Ability Activate! Hypershot!" The cannons on Gravelon's back fired beams of light brown energy towards Sentinel, sending him flying back a few metres, but managed to regain his footing. By now, each bakugan had their fair share of bruises and cuts, and it seemed as though they were on their last legs.

**Gravelon: 1200 Sentinel: 800**

"It's now down…" Theodore said.

"To the last card!" Moses continued.

"Ability Activate! Ventus Night!" Sentinel was covered in a purplish-green aura as he charged forward, charging all his remaining energy into one final punch.

"Fusion Ability Activate: Maguinity Colossus!" Gravelon's hammer disintegrated in a bright brown light, his fist now concealed in a brown aura, putting in all the remains of his energy into his fist. Both blows clashed into one, the battle field now covered in a bright flash of white light. For a moment, nothing happened, but as soon as the light had died down, only one bakugan remained standing on the battlefield.

_Theodore James life force, 0 percent. Winner, Moses Harington._

Theodore picked up Sentinel from the ground. He was surprisingly not saddened by the lost, but the battle still left him pretty shaken. "Sorry I couldn't hang in there, Theodore. It was my fault that we ended up losing" Sentinel said.

"Don't worry about the end result. Besides, it was also partly my fault for charging in blindly without assessing my opponent first, so were' both equally at fault" Theodore laughed lightly just as Moses began walking towards him. "So… I lost. Guess that means you won't train me."

"Actually, I've decided that I'm going to take you as my disciple after all" Moses said. Theodore stared at him in confusion. "The only reason I battled you was to get you out of your depressed state, and now that that's finally done, I can continue with my original plan to train you."

"So, what you're saying is that that whole battle was for nothing?" Theodore said, almost shouting.

"Not entirely, I did manage to get you back to your old self, so I guess it wasn't completely useless" Moses grinned. "So, are you up for the challenge?"

"You bet!" Theodore smiled as they bumped fists in agreement.

"So, first things first, we need to move you up some ranks" Moses said as he tapped a few buttons on his gauntlet. A holographic screen projected out from his gauntlet, showing Theodore's ranking on 137. "Ok, it seems you've dropped from your original position of 119, but we can work with that. Now, for your homework—"

"Seriously… HOMEWORK? I already have enough of that at school, I don't need any more of that in my social life" Theodore whined, but Moses gladly ignored him and continued on.

"Your homework from now until Monday, is to move up 5 ranks each day. Seeing as today is Friday, then you have two days, meaning that you can go up as far 127, but I would be impressed if you can go higher than that."

"Five ranks each day? Is that even possible?"

"That's what you signed up for when you decided to become my disciple. I'm not just going to let you wander around attracting trouble unless you can actually fend for yourself."

"You're the so-called "kid" that defeated Flare and Elise?!" an unfamiliar voice said in the distance, startling Moses and Theodore, who had now turned their heads to the source of the voice. A teenage girl stood not far away from them. She had long turquoise hair that fell just above her ankles, and sea blue eyes. She wore a white sleeved t-shirt, blue faded jeans, and black boots. A pair of black gloves were worn on her hands. Her eyes had a menacing _edge _to them, and an evil smirk was plastered onto her face. "Honestly, I expected more from you. But seeing as you're just a kid, I'll let you live for now. I don't like to waste my time with people who can't even give me a challenge." the girl said as she began to walk away.

"Who are you?" Theodore said, the girl stopping in her tracks at his words.

"My name is Aeolus. Remember that, because it'll be the name of the person that takes your precious Sentinel away from you" the girl said, before disappearing off over the horizon, leaving both Moses and Theodore too stunned to even move or speak.

**So, that Chapter 6 in a nutshell. Sorry to all the readers who had been anxiously waiting for this update, but the piles of homework just kept on coming and I had to spend most of my weekend actually doing work instead of chilling, and after some time I finally found the free time to acutally update this fanfiction. That being said, it might also be a long while to update, so I doubt you will expect any frequent chapter updates from me from now on. Until the next time we meet, Skyrider out!**


	7. Volcanoes and Whirpools: Break The Limit

**Skyrider's risen from the grave known as writer's block and video game addiction to give you Chapter 7 of Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Radiant Destiny! Sorry to all the people who were waiting for this chapter and may/may not have thought I had given up on this, which I haven't, but there are some perfectly valid reasons for not updating soon enough. 1) Writer's block kicked in and I had a mind blank, and every time I came up with an awesome storyline I quickly shredded those ideas and began to start anew. 2) Video Game Addiction, because it's hard enough trying to concentrate on your fanfiction when you have the final mission of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim calling your name. 3) I had exams to do and study for, so there wasn't much time to spare for fanfiction. Anyway, on the side note, you probably will notice during the course of this chapter that I changed most, if not all of the names of Theodore's ability cards, which is because when I look at them now, some of the names I gave to them completely and utterly SUCK, so I decided to change them to make them seem more cool and memorable. Since this Author Note is already too long anyway, I'll just decide to be lazy and paste the previous and current names of the ability cards I changed at the bottom of this chapter, or if you're smart enough, you'll have already figured out the previous names of these ability cards. Although, don't think I'm going to go back and change them in previous chapters, I'm still too lazy for that and just want to enjoy my holiday.**

**7: VOLCANOES AND WHIRPOOLS: BREAK THE LIMITS**

**Monday, 14:30, Bayview Port**

A low growl emanated from Sentinel's breath as he balled his fists in anger. Standing on one knee and covered in numerous cuts and bruises, he stared at the untouched form of Gravelon standing a few feet away, rays of light bouncing off his bronze armour giving it a sort of unearthly glow. The morning sun shone brightly over the horizon, the glistening white waves crashing into the foundations of the portside. A light breeze settled over the battlefield as both bakugan stood motionless, unseen sparks of electricity joining together in the middle of their glares.

"Ability Activate! **Demonic Ascension!**" Theodore said, slotting the ability guard into his gauntlet, which now had a light purple glow. Dark clouds appeared above their heads, the roaring thunder shattering the blanket of silence. Flashes of purple appeared from the clouds every now and then as lightning gathered within the centre of the clouds. A bolt of purple lightning shot down from above towards Sentinel, covering him a light purple aura, the green of his eyes now a dark—almost black—purple.

**Sentinel: 900 Gravelon: 700**

"Don't think we're done yet. Ability Activate! **Reaper's Void!**" Sentinel slapped his palms together, and as he began to separate them, a sphere of purple untamed energy began to form in middle, until it reached about the size of a soccer ball.

"Let's see if you can handle this!" Sentinel yelled as purple tendrils shot out from the purple sphere, all moving in a random pattern but still keeping the same course towards their target: Gravelon.

**Sentinel: 1100 Gravelon: 600**

"Ability Activate! **Mountain Tundra!**" Slabs of rock tore away from the ground before forming a protective cage around Gravelon's frame, shielding him from Sentinel's attack and nullifying Theodore's ability. However, he failed to spot a green and purple moving at high speeds towards him through the thick cloud of dust that had formed when the two abilities clashed.

**Sentinel: 900 Gravelon: 700**

"Let's end this! Ability Activate! **Soul Tempest: Leaf Hurricane!**" Before Gravelon could react, he felt a powerful kick at the bottom of his jaw, sending him into the air. Sentinel shot off the ground towards Gravelon just as he was reaching the apex of his rise, wrapping both his arms and wings around Gravelon. He began to spin both their bodies in mid-air, forming a mini tornado they began to descend towards the ground. Just as they were about to hit the ground, Sentinel released from his hold on Gravelon, stopping just a few feet from the ground as he watched the unmoving form of the Subterra Bakugan lying in a large crater.

**Sentinel: 1300 Gravelon: 500(K.O)**

Gravelon was concealed in a light brown aura before returning to his ball form, landing beside Moses's foot. Sentinel slowly descended to the ground, landing on his knee as he let out a light chuckle. _That was close. If that battle had continued on, I wouldn't have been able to make it, _Sentinel thought as his body was surrounded in a purplish-green aura, returning to his ball form, landing in the middle of Theodore palms.

It had been a rough month for the dynamic duo. It was surprising how they were still standing after the end of month, which was filled with brutal training session—both inside and outside of the battlefield—and numerous battles that Moses had set up for them. However, it was worth it, just to see how much they'd progressed. Now at #79, Theodore was slowly making progress up the ladder, although not as much as he'd liked, but progress nonetheless. Moses had made sure that they had counters and combo-moves for every attribute they faced against, which proved useful in their previous battles as it left their opponents in the dust as they weren't able to react fast enough to counter. Fortunately, neither Flare, Elise, or that mysterious girl—Aeolus, if he could remember clearly—had showed up, which meant that he could put more focus into his training.

"It seems that you're progressing at a much faster rate than I expected" Moses said, now standing just a couple of feet away from Theodore. "It seems that you're making good use of those combo moves we've been working on, and your reaction time and your ability to think on your feet have increased."

Theodore smiled, but for some reason could almost sense a 'but' coming. "All in all, good job for a productive month. From now on, I expect you to at least put up much of a fight without needing someone to back you up, regardless of whether you're facing two or more opponents, or just one" Moses finished, but spotted Theodore's raised eyebrow. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"Well, I was kind of getting ready for you to berate me on how I still need to improve, or something along those lines" Theodore said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Of course you still need to improve, that way I wouldn't have to save your butt again" Moses smiled, ignoring the glare that Theodore had aimed at him, before continuing. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you later. Next time we meet, I'll be waiting for that rematch" Moses said casually, jamming his hands into his pockets before he began to walk away.

"What do you mean 'next time'? Aren't we meeting again tomorrow?" Theodore asked, surprised at Moses's casual form. He was almost never calm during their sessions. In fact, he was quite the opposite, almost driving him like a slave owner during their battles. Moses stopped, only to tilt his head to face Theodore.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already? Today marks the end of your training period" Moses said, a smile still plastered onto his face, which caused Theodore's eyes to widen at his _teacher_'s words. Theodore tried to speak, but was unable to form any words. Moses chuckled softly at Theodore's stunned expression. "As a goodbye present, meet me tomorrow at 1:30 at Bakugan Interspace. I shouldn't hear you've been slacking, or else it'll just be another month of me pounding you to the ground."

Theodore was unable to do anything but watch as Moses disappeared from his line of sight and was sucked into the busy city streets. Jolting awake from his stunned stupor, he felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. His eyes still glued to where Moses once was, only one thought ran across his mind.

_Next time…_

**...**

_**Monday, 21:30, Abandoned Warehouse**_

"_I don't see why you want this kid so badly. He doesn't seem to all that tough" Aeolus said, appearing from the shadows. She began to walk towards the white haired boy, who now had his eyes glued to a large screen showing images of an unaccountable number of brawlers._

"_He may not be a threat right now, but I can tell he has a lot of untapped potential, and if he is able to reach his potential and still evade our grasp, he could prove to be a lot of trouble in the future. Besides, he and I have some… unfinished business" he said, moving his cursor around each image, as if searching for a specific one. "Any luck on trying to… _recruit _him into our cause?"_

"_Negative. It seems he is now training with an experienced brawler by the name of Moses Harington, and right now with my current skill, I doubt I'd be able to attack and come out victorious" Aeolus said in a neutral tone. _

"_Hmm… this puts a huge dent a huge dent in our plans, but it shouldn't push our plans back by that much" the white haired boy said, stroking his hairless chin. He smiled victoriously as he finally found the image he was searching for, clicking it as all the other images shattered and pixels of colour began to form the image. "For the time being, we need to move our expertise in another direction" the white haired boy said as he made his way towards the huge doors of the warehouse._

"_Any ideas?" Aeolus said with a blank expression as she followed her master._

"_As a matter of fact, I do. And I know just the person for the job" He said grinning evilly as they exited the warehouse. A few seconds after the two had left, the screen began to flash as the pixels had finally formed a single image of a single brawler._

_Theodore James._

**Tuesday, Bayview Academy, 12:20**

Theodore was slowly fading in and out of consciousness as he boring English teacher droned on about some Shakespearian play… Romeo and Juliet, was it? Either way, Theodore didn't seem to care, and neither did the rest of the students. Not even the most attentive students had the brain capacity to stay awake during this lesson. Some of them just had a book in front of them shielding them from the teacher's vision while they lay passed out on the desk, while some of them had just collapsed onto the floor without a care in the world. Beside him, Chinatsu looked to be awake and just resting her head in her hands and her eyes aimed at the teacher, but if you sat close enough, you could just hear her faint snores. How she had managed to even master the art of sleeping with her eyes open was beyond Theodore's knowledge, and the fact that she was a very light sleeper, and because she had a helpful best friend, were the only reasons she hadn't been sent to detention like the rest of her peers.

Theodore was surprised that he was even remotely awake during this lesson. The only reason he hadn't given into the soft whispers of his sleep was because of Moses's message the day before. He wasn't entirely sure what they would be doing at Bakugan Interspace, apart from maybe watching some battles or participating in a few battles themselves, but the way he had said it meant there was a much deeper meaning to it than just something as simple as a Bakugan Battle, which just piqued his interest and made him all the more excited. However, even with the slight burst of energy, he could slowly feel himself falling out of consciousness, his head slowly nearing the flat, varnished wooden surface of his desk, mentally crying for a sign of salvation to save them from the depths of hell that was his English Class.

Almost as if the Gods above had heard his plea for help, the sound of the school bell shot into the room, and, defying the laws of both Physics and Biology, students shot off from either the ground or their desks, and out of the room in a matter of seconds—Theodore and Chinatsu included—ignoring the teacher's orders about their next assignment which fell on deaf ears.

The thoughts of his previously sleeping best friend were stuffed in the back of his mind as he launched himself onto his bike and raced towards his home. With a swift turn, he jumped off his bike and rushed into his home, barely registering the sweat that rolled down his face. Sprinting into his room, he changed out of his uniform and into his gear at a lightning fast pace. His mother's pleas fell on deaf ears as he soon found himself onto his bike, with only one destination in mind: Bakugan Interspace.

"Geez, with the way you're burning your energy right now, I wouldn't be surprised if you passed out by the time you reach Bakugan Interspace" Sentinel said as he rolled onto Theodore's shoulder, before frowning at the thought of his previous battle in Bakugan Interspace. "It will be good to get back on the winning side though. We've been losing for too long now, and now it's time to get back on top of our game!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, partner" Theodore said, a smile of determination forming on his lips. In truth, he had also hated the fact that he had to rely on Moses for him to grow. While the training had been beneficial, he wanted to become stronger through his own work, pass or fail. His previous loss to Elise and Flare, and the constant beatings he had received from Moses had given him a huge wake-up call. He knew that he couldn't always rely on Moses or Chinatsu to bail him out of tough situations, as they weren't always going to be there to save him. Not to mention the fact that more of Flare's… _friends_ seemed to be chasing after him on a regular basis—despite the sudden decrease of their appearance this past month. He knew they was clearly above him level, and he had to work even hard to make sure he could reach their level, if not surpass them.

Too engrossed in his thoughts, Theodore had forgotten to spot the bike racks in front of him, but by then it was too late. The force of the impact sent him soaring off the seat of his bike onto the cold concrete ground.

The silence was broken as a familiar figure burst into a fit of laughter, breaking Theodore out of his dazed state. Theodore channelled his anger through his glare, which was now aimed at the familiar dark skinned teenager, who was now had tears at the corners of his eyes despite the pain in his stomach. "You know, that was probably the highlight of this boring day" a familiar voice—now revealed to be Moses—said.

"Now that we've gone past the… _eventful _greeting, would you please explain why you chose to meet here in the first place?" Theodore said, dusting himself off.

"As expected of Theodore the Forgetful One. Already forgotten what day it is today?" Moses said, ignoring Theodore's death glare. Not giving Theodore a chance to respond, he continued. "Well, since you can't seem to remember, maybe this will jog your memory."

The duo walked into the large building, and were engulfed in a bright light. As Theodore's eyes began to adjust to the light, he could slowly make out of the sea of brawlers in his path, and a large white banner that was tied to the ceiling, which read: Bakugan Summer Tournament. Theodore mentally face-palmed himself. How could he forget? He had been planning to enter this tournament for almost three months now. While his main goal was to showcase his skills, Moses had also reminded him that it was also an opportunity to gain more experience and battle different brawlers for a change.

Before he had even had a chance to continue forward, he felt a force smash into him from behind, sending them both to the ground. "I'm so sorry, I should've been looking where I was going. Please forgive me" the voice said hurriedly in a feminine tone as he clutched his pain in pain while letting a small groan escape his lips. He had a sinking feeling that he had heard that voice quite a number of times, but he couldn't put the voice to a face. Slowly forcing his eyes open, his eyes fell on a raven haired girl with obsidian eyes. He let the gears turn in his mind before his eyes widened as wide as saucers.

"Amy Foster?!" he exclaimed, shocked. The girl raised her eyebrows in suspicion. She was surprised how someone she didn't know knew her name. She quickly came to a conclusion that he was probably one of her fans who, once he got over the fact that he was tripped by _the _Amy Foster, would quickly ask for her autograph. Oh, how wrong she was.

"Am I supposed to know you, or are you just one of my fans?" the girl said as she got a clear look at Theodore. She could feel something lingering in the back of her mind, as if she was supposed to know the boy in front of her. However, despite her effort she couldn't put a name to a face.

"Fans? What—no! It's me, Theodore James. You know the guy that—"

"Wait a second" Amy said, abruptly cutting Theodore off mid-sentence. "You're that no-named rookie that beat me a couple of weeks ago!" Amy exclaimed, glaring at Theodore.

"No-named?! If you remember clearly, I was the one who walked out of that battle as the victor" Theodore retorted back, sending Amy his own glare.

"Well, it was probably just luck" Amy huffed, crossing her arms again as she sat on Theodore's waist, not realizing that she was practically straddling him. "I bet I would wipe the floor with you if given the chance."

Theodore would've retorted back, but stopped as he caught Moses trying—and failing—to hold his laughter in his hand. "I take it back, this is probably _the _highlight of my day" Moses said, a wide smile glued to his face. It was only then that both teenagers realized the position, their eyes as wide as saucers. A split second later they were both off the ground, both a reasonable distance away from each other and each sporting a light blush on their faces. Theodore was busy trying to distract himself with anything around him, while Amy shuffled her feet nervously and her eyes glued to the ground, but they both caught the other sporting quick glances in the other's direction. At his point, their respective Bakugan partners chose this moment to break the silence.

"Sentinel" Streak-Blazer hissed. "Looks like Thanksgiving came early today, because I finally get to roast some turkey. Make no mistake, I've grown since our last encounter, and I'll be sure to return the favour the next time we find ourselves on the battlefield."

"That's why you won our battle the last time—Oh wait" Sentinel smirked, earning a low growl from the Pyrus bakugan. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll win next time, maybe the time after that, or it could be the other…" the Hybrid bakugan droned on, further infuriating Streak-Blazer.

"So, uh, what brings you Bakugan Interspace?" Theodore said as he rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring the banter that the two bakugan were currently involved in. He felt his eyes slowly travel towards her new attire. She now sported a red hooded jersey that hugged her developing figure, with a black t-shirt with a circuit design underneath, with a matching short red skirt, black leggings, and red sneakers that reached up to her knees. A pair of black fingerless gloves were worn on her hands. Theodore could feel the heat rise to his cheeks once again.

"Oh, I'm participating in the Summer Tournament, and if my guess is correct, you're here for the same reason" Amy said as she quickly gaining her composure. After earning a nod from Theodore, she continued. "Looks like I'll get my wish after all. Just don't lose before you face me, I want to have the honour of wiping that smirk off your face."

"Dream on. Don't forget that even when it was my first brawl with Sentinel was my partner, I was still able to wipe the floor with you. Now that I've actually gone through some training this past month, I'll be sure to keep your inevitable death quick and painful" Theodore smirked. Amy's expression turned from shocked to determined, a small smile forming on her face.

"Don't get your hopes up just yet" Amy grinned. "Anyways, I better get going. I'll be waiting on the battlefield, that's if you're man enough to challenge me."

Amy then blew a kiss towards Theodore—who was left in a spluttering mess with a familiar tint of pink forming on his cheeks—before disappearing into the sea of the brawlers that stood waiting patiently for the competition.

"That's a feisty girl you've bagged. Won't be too long until I see black and brown haired children walking into this very building, looking for their first battle" Moses joked.

"What? I don't, uh, like her like that. I mean, she's just a, uh, friend" Theodore sputtered. If the blush on his face wasn't visible before, it sure was now.

"Don't worry about it, I was only joking. _Partly_" Moses said, whispering the last part under his breath as he ruffled his student's hair. "Now, let's get you checked in before the competition starts. Don't want you to get disqualified before the competition starts."

The duo now made their way through the sea of brawlers with relative ease before making it to the booth. A familiar mashup of white, pink and purple with orange hair waiting on the somewhat short queue, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Chinatsu!" Theodore yelled, surprising his best friend who literally jumped out of her repetitive stature with a loud _eep_. Glaring at her best friend, she landed a heavy punch to Theodore's shoulder, earning a loud groan from him. "OW! What did you do that for?!"

"1) For surprising me like that, and 2) For ditching me earlier today when we were meant to leave earlier for the Summer Tournament!" Chinatsu growled while sending a hateful glare towards Theodore. Theodore took a large gulp as he felt himself cower under Chinatsu's gaze. He was pretty sure that if humans had superpowers, Chinatsu would've sent eye laser beams through his skull, instantly frying his brain. Then he felt his train of thought linger to one of Chinatsu's statements. Was he seriously the only one who had forgotten about the Summer Tournament?

"Sorry about that. It's just that I'd agreed with Moses to meet up here and I guess I got too excited" Theodore said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"And you didn't even stop to consider the coincidence that our meeting time would be the same place that the Bakugan Summer Tournament would commence? Are you really dense?" Moses said, shaking his head at his student's denseness. It was then that Chinatsu realized that Theodore wasn't alone, and with a loud _eep_, she quickly hid behind Theodore, pressing her fingers together as her shy nature took over.

"I don't look _that _intimidating, do I?" Moses pondered, stroking his chin in thought.

"I guess I haven't introduced you guys to each other, have I?" Theodore laughed nervously. "Moses, meet Chinatsu. She's only ever this shy to people she's never met, but get on her good side and she'll warm up to you soon. Don't let her cute side fool you, she has a deadly personality hidden in the depths of her mind, which entails unimaginable death if you ever have the unfortunate encounter of unlocking her hidden beast" Theodore said, receiving another punch to his left shoulder, curtesy of Chinatsu. "Chinatsu, this is Moses. You know, the guy I told you about who I was training under. Don't let his kind nature fool you, he becomes really sadistic and headstrong if you ever have the unfortunate chance to battle him."

"And here I thought that you were finally beginning to show me the respect I deserve" Moses said. The two then shook hands as an agreement of sorts, Chinatsu more reluctant to do so. "I guess it's good to finally meet you in person, Chinatsu. I've heard a lot of… _interesting_ this about you from Theodore" Moses said, grinning evilly. Chinatsu, slowly moving out of her shy nature, raised her eyebrow at Theodore, who was glaring at Moses.

"What?" Moses said, noticing Theodore's glare. "I believe it is a mentor's job to embarrass his favourite and only student in front of his best friend. Wouldn't you agree, Chinatsu?" Moses said to Chinatsu, who had now sported her own mischievous grin.

"Why do the heavens hate me so much?" Theodore groaned. "Let's just check in and get this over with."

Moses was about to respond, when he felt a rubbery object make contact with the back of his head which burst on contact, leaving him drenched in the water that the balloon was holding. A loud cackle soon burst through the constant chatter around them, startling the crowd. Eye twitching, Moses turned his head towards the source of laughter, only to sigh loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It just _had _to be you, didn't it?"

"I can't believe you actually fell for that, Moses" the source of laughter—which turned out to be a young boy—said. The boy was quite short, about 140cm, with light brown skin and dark brown—almost black—eyes, which were now filled to the brim with tears. He was dressed in a blue hoodie with a thick white strip going down his arms, brown shorts that just went past his knees, and white sneakers with a blue sole. A baseball cap was worn on his head, just barely holding in his short, messy, black, curly hair. "Your reflexes must have deteriorated if you were able to get caught in such an easy trick like that. However, no prank is too simple and no human is too safe from a Prank Lord like me!"

"Uh, Moses, might want to clue us in on who _this _is?" Theodore said, gesturing towards the strange boy in his peripheral vision.

"I had hoped this day wouldn't come" Moses groaned. "Theodore, Chinatsu, meet Dante Pierce, the thirteen-year-old knucklehead who will never act his own age"— "Hey!"— "and Dante, meet Theodore and Chinatsu, the former being my apprentice for the time being."

Both Theodore and Chinatsu widened their eyes at Moses's statement. The only thought that was running through their minds was how a kid like him was thirteen, when he seemed to act like a nine-year-old. If it wasn't for the fact that Moses had told him his age, Theodore was pretty sure he would've mistaken him for a nine years old, both due to his childish nature and height.

"Are you sure he's thirteen? I mean, he sure doesn't act like it, and he does seem… _physically challenged _for a thirteen-year-old?" Theodore said, narrowing his eyes as he searched for any form of deceit, his brain still unable that this… _child_, had a similar age to him.

"While he may not look like it, or act like it for that matter, Dante _is _actually thirteen" Moses said. "He's also a brawler just like you two. He wields the attribute Aquos, and his guardian bakugan is Aquos Siege."

"Your guardian bakugan is an Aquos Siege? Seems pretty lame if you ask me" Theodore smirked, folding his arms.

"For your information, Siege is the most awesome, incredible, toughest and the best bakugan there is" Dante said, a childish glint in his eyes as he pulled out a bakugan with purple and light blue accents from his pockets. "Besides, from what Moses has told me, he had to bail you out when you were struggling in a two-on-one battle" Dante said, an evil grin plastered onto his face. This soon turned into a heated glare between the Aquos and Ventus brawlers. Both brawlers were on the verge of throwing a few blows before Moses decided to break them up.

"OK, why don't we all just settle down before one of you starts throwing fists? Why don't we just start anew by introducing ourselves again, properly this time?" Moses said, still holding both boys within arm's reach of each other. Taking a deep breath, Dante began first.

"Hello, my name is Dante Pierce, as Golem boy already told you" Dante said, receiving a swift punch to the shoulder and a death glare from Moses, which caused him to gulp loudly before continuing, this time knowing not to try and anger Moses further. Using his best smile, he then extended his arm towards Chinatsu and Theodore. "I hope we can become very good friends."

"Hi, Dante. My name is Chinatsu Tanak-AH!" Chinatsu shyly began as he shook Dante's hand, before she felt an electric current pass through her body, startling her as she quickly released her grip on Dante's hand.

"I can't believe you actually walked into the oldest prank in the book" Dante said in between laughter, clutching his stomach as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. However, he was unable to sense the killing intent rising within the friendship circle, directed solely towards him.

"Uh, Dante? Now would probably be a good time to run" Theodore said. Dante, who had now refrained from laughing, raised his eyebrow towards Theodore's statement, but widened his eyes in horror as he turned towards the Haos brawler. An almost demonic like aura was surrounding Chinatsu as she cracked her knuckles, a sickly sweet smile forming on his lips. Taking a large gulp, Dante began to take some slow steps backwards, before he broke into a run.

"I'm going to get you for that, you little twerp!" Chinatsu shouted angrily before she sprinted in the direction that Dante had run off into, a sadistic grin plastered to her face as murderous intentions formed in her mind about what she was going to do after she had found the childish Aquos brawler.

"Now I get what you meant by her deadly personality" Moses said, arms crossed and head shaking in disappointment as he looked in the direction that the two brawlers had run off to. "You don't Chinatsu is going to hurt Dante too bad, right? He still has to participate in the Summer Tournament."

"I doubt, but I'm not making any promises" Theodore said, mimicking his mentor. "However, neither Chinatsu or myself will be held responsible if Dante ends up at Death's door by the time we reach him. He's already sealed his fate."

"Agreed" was all Moses said before they began to take off in the direction that Chinatsu and Dante had run off to.

…

The four brawlers were now making their way towards the central point of Bakugan Interspace, where the gathering of the Summer Tournament was to commence. Dante, who was now sporting a large bump on his head, began to massage the painful sore as he recalled the reason he had even got it in the first place, fear showing evidently in his eyes. He silently vowed never to prank any other girl ever again. Chinatsu, who was to the right side of Dante, was repeatedly spraying Dante's ears with apologies. Both Theodore and Moses had their eyes glued to the bump on Dante's head, recalling the phrase: _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._

Eventually, the group of four reached the meeting point, their vision quickly filled with a sea of brawlers, all eagerly and anxiously waiting for the Summer Tournament to begin. As if answering their silent prayers, the mass of brawlers where quickly silenced as a platform was raised up about two metres high, a lone figure standing atop the platform. The figure was male, and quite short in height, standing about 145cm in height, with blond hair and sky blue eyes. He wore a blue hoodie with white sleeves, white shorts with a blue trim, and blue sneakers with a white strip. He wore a pair of blue glasses, and a light blond goatee with a moustache was forming on his face. Despite his short stature, the young adult was easily recognized as the creator of Bakugan Interspace, having saved the world quite a couple of time from invading threats, and being known as the Aquos brawler and the brains of the now retired Battle Brawlers. His name, Marucho Marukura.

"Welcome, all you aspiring challenges, to the Bakugan Summer Tournament!" Marucho began, the crowd soon erupting in cheers not only because of the Tournament, but actually being in the presence of one of the legendary Battle Brawlers. Even Dante has a childish glimmer in his eyes as he stared at his idol. Even as a kid, Dante had aspired to become an Aqous brawler of the same calibre as Marucho ever since he'd watched the brawlers in their fight against Mechtavius Destroyer as a young boy.

Marucho raised his hand, signalling for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. "However, before we commence with the battles, I would like to explain a few of the changes that are going to be taking place in Bakugan Interspace. Firstly, we've been making some modifications to the gauntlets that brawlers now wear when engaging in a battle." The electronic billboard all around Bakugan Interspace's Central Point began to spark into life. Instead of the Daily Announcements and the Leader boards that were usually shown, a design of a fingerless glove was displayed onto the electronic billboards. "Due to rapid development of technology, we have decided to make quite a few alterations with the way Bakugan Interspace will be operating. Instead of the bulky gauntlets that are currently in use, brawlers will now use a more sophisticated and simpler design, in the form of a black fingerless glove that, when in battle or when you instantly walk into the doors of Bakugan Interspace, changes into the colour that your attribute represents."

As a demonstration, a black fingerless glove materialised into Marucho's palm. The crowd watched in awe as Marucho slipped his hand into the glove, which instantly turned from black into an ocean blue colour, symbolising his Aquos attribute. He then lightly tapped the centre of his palm before a holographic screen popped up, hovering just a few centimetres from his palm. "One of the new features of the newly improved gauntlets is that we now added a holographic screen that allows you to check the Leader-boards, scout your competition, or even set up matches with other brawlers without having to meet them face-to-face or walking long distances. The database is either sorted out by name, or by the brawler's attribute, and from there on it's pretty straight forward. Also, in battle, the holographic screens allow you to monitor your life gauge and compare it to your opponent's life gauge. On the left side of the brawler's identification picture, it shows the rank that the player is currently standing at."

A chorus of yeses were heard around the crowd. If this was only _one _of the new features that were being brought into Bakugan Interspace, what other features were to come? As if reading their minds, Marucho pulled out an ability card from the pockets of his shorts. "Also, along with the newly designed gauntlets, players will not have to carry around their ability cards wherever they are going. This is because the new gauntlets have a scan feature that allows you to scan your ability cards into the Bakugan Interspace Database. If you're wondering how this works, all you do is open up the holographic screen projection, and at the bottom right corner there should be an option to scan your cards. Adding to that, if you're worried that someone, in an unlikely even, will steal your glove, do not be worried. The data will be saved into your own personal Database, so even if someone _did _steal your glove, they would only be able to have access to their own database."

"I'm sure you're wondering how the scanned ability cards will work in battle. For this though, there are actually two different options. The first one, is that the holographic screen shows all the cards that your Bakugan possess, and from then on it's just an easy pick and throw. The second option, which I like to call the more… _exciting_ option, is you shout out your ability cards like so… **Ability Activate! Dive Mirage!**" As soon as Marucho said this, the ability card materialised from thin air, just hovering above his palm. "How to activate it though, is what I call the exciting part. All you have to do is close your hands into a fist, and…" Marucho continued as he made a fist with the gloved hand. Instantly, the materialized card shattered, gaining some looks of awe from the crowd.

"The third and final feature is that instead of the AI shouting out the battles from here, you'll receive a notification from your gauntlet, which shows you who your next battle is against and the arena you're fighting in. Another nifty feature, for those newcomers, is that the gauntlet also had a built-in map of Bakugan Interspace. When you activate it, you appear as a white dot on the screen, and if you have a battle about to start, it shows the path of where you need to go in the form of a series of blue dots leading towards the Arena. If you're also a newcomer and just looking to browse around Bakugan Interspace, or want to go to a particular arena just to train, then all you have to do is click on the white dot that you represent, and the area you want to visit, and a path of blue dots form, leading you towards your destination."

"However, while there are many other features to come, we do not have the time to discuss them as of now. Moving on from the gauntlets, this year, the Summer Tournament will be taking a slightly different approach. Instead of one match at a time, this year, a battle will be occurring in each arena of Bakugan Interspace, and the winner of each battle will be decided through whoever wins the most matches out of three matches, rather than using the life gauge system. Also, there is also a point system involved for each battle which will then, at the end of the Summer Tournament, will add towards your individual points on the Leader-board. Of course, the more you progress, the more points you gain, and the more likely chance you are to increase your rank. If there are no further questions, please make your way towards the exits where you will receive your new gauntlets. Once you get your glove, you will receive a notification of who you're going to be pitted against and which arena your battle is taking place. That is all."

Before any of the competitors could bombard Marucho with any questions, Marucho disappeared from the platform, the crowd only just realizing that he was a holographic projection. However, this didn't seem to deteriorate any of their confidence, and seconds later, the silence was broken as the chatter began to erupt from the crowd, no doubt discussing about the new changes that were to appear in Bakugan Interspace.

The group of four then proceeded to make their way towards the exit, each picking a black fingerless glove on their way out. "So, what options are you guys choosing for the battles?" Theodore asked as he put on the fingerless glove, which turned into a light green colour, representing his Ventus attribute. "I'm definitely going for the second option! I don't know how he came up with that idea, but it was totally ingenious."

"Did you see the way Marucho crushed the card in his hand? That was so AWESOME! I'm definitely picking that second option!" Dante said in a childish manner, frantically searching the holographic screen of his now ocean blue glove.

"I think I'm going to go with the first option" Moses said, tapping the centre of the palm of his now light brown glove, the holographic screen popping up. "I've already gotten used to drawing my cards out anyway since I've been brawling for quite a few years."

"I'm going to have to side with Moses on this one. Although the built-in scanner was a nice feature to newly developed "gauntlets"" Chinatsu said, scanning through the Leader board her now whitish yellow glove. However, before the four could continue scrolling through the new features of the gloves, they each—with the exception of Moses—received a notification on the screens of their gloves. They each reluctantly tapped the notification, and a brawler's picture popped up on each of their screen. Both Dante and Theodore smirked when they realized that they had a picture of each other flashing on their screens.

"Looks like it's time to finally figure out if you're all bark and no bite" Dante said.

"I'm going to enjoy wiping that childish smirk off your face" Dante said, matching Dante's smirk. "Speaking of battles, who did you get?"

"Oh, I got some girl named Amy Foster" Chinatsu said, making Theodore groan and Moses grin evilly at Theodore. "Um, am I missing something?"

"I've actually met and battled against Amy Foster before. She has some crazy obsession that I destroyed her reputation, and now she wants to settle the score by battling me in the Summer Tournament" Theodore said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't forget your 'moment' just a couple of minutes ago" Moses said slyly nudging Theodore, who now had a light shade of pink now sported on his cheeks as he tried to form an answer, but it all came in stutters.

"Oh" was Chinatsu's only response, but she couldn't help but feeling that there was more to this situation than meets the eye. However, before she could enquire more about this situation, Dante brought up an important question.

"Hey, Moses. How come you didn't receive any notification?" Dante asked, just slightly breaking out of his childish character.

"Simple. I'm not participating in the Summer Tournament" Moses said coolly, receiving shocked expressions from his peers, mainly Theodore. "I only said I was going to meet you here, I never said I was going to participate in the competition. While I don't think there's anyone worth showing my skills to, I still think it would be nice to watch and see how you've all grown this past month."

Before Theodore could protest, he felt himself being dragged across the concrete floor. "Come on, Theodore, we have to get to Arena B so that I can finally teach you who's boss!" Dante said excitedly, his childish behaviour resurfacing. Theodore rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips before picking himself off the ground. He quickly turned to the direction that Dante had run off to, only to smash into something, knocking him back down to the ground.

"Talk about déjà vu" Theodore muttered under his breath before he turned his head to the mysterious figure in front of him. The figure was female, with long purple hair that was done in a side braid, and dark charcoal eyes that were glaring back at his forest green eyes. She was dressed in a purple long sleeved t-shirt with a circuit design, a black sleeveless leather jacket—that Theodore wasn't sure if it was designed to make it look like the arms had been ripped off, or if the arms of the leather jacket had actually been ripped off—a short black skirt with dark purple leggings and black sneakers with a purple sole.

"Watch where you're going, loser" the girl said, before brushing past Theodore. Theodore narrowed his eyes at the girl's retreating form before shaking his head and walking forward, the memory of the girl still fresh in his mind.

* * *

"Welcome one and all to the Summer Tournament!" the announcer said, causing the fans in the stands in erupt in a volley of cheers. "Today in Arena E, one of the first matches of the Summer Tournament is about to commence! Our first challenger: Nicknamed the Fiery Dragonfly, with brawling skills as hot as her looks, our 60th ranked brawler, Amy Foster!"

The crowd broke into cheers as Amy walked onto the platform, smiling and waving cheerfully at her numerous fans. Streak Blazer sat on her shoulder, frantically moving her wings as if to mimic her partner.

"Our next challenger: She might be shy, but with a heart of gold, and a ferocious sabretooth tiger to guide her through, she can accomplish anything that comes her way, our 97th ranked brawler, Chinatsu Tanaka!"

The crowd erupted in a mass of cheers as Chinatsu shyly made her way up the platform, a blush of embarrassment adorned on her cheeks.

"You know, I was hoping to battle Theodore sooner in this competition, but I guess you'll have to do for now" Amy said as she grinning determinedly, causing Chinatsu to stutter as she tried to think of a cool comeback, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Stay calm Chinatsu, you can handle her as long as we work as a team" Lazuli said as she rolled onto Chinatsu's shoulder. Chinatsu nodded as she took in her partner's words, mustering up as much courage as she could, matching Amy's grin.

"Let the battle commence!" the announcer said as the battlefield slowly turned into a desert.

* * *

"You won't have that childish grin of yours when I'm finished with you" Theodore said as he selected a gate card from his holographic deck, which instantly materialised onto the battlefield. The plain battlefield now shifted into an urban town setting.

"Why don't you talking and put your money where your mouth is?" Dante smirked, causing Theodore to chuckle lightly.

"Bakugan brawl! Ventus Ravenoid, stand!" Theodore said, throwing the Ventus bakugan onto the gate card.

"I was hoping to face off against your guardian bakugan first, but it will be over even when you do send him in" Dante smirked before pulling out Aquos Siege from his pocket, gripping it tightly. "Let's rack up the first win of the tournament, Siege! Bakugan brawl! Aquos Siege, stand!"

"I will do everything in my power to protect my master" Aquos Siege said as he turned into his bakugan form. He looked just like a typical Siege, except in his left hand he now wielded a blue shield with a light blue trim that was shaped like a cross, and instead of a spear, he now wielded a trident.

**Ravenoid: 580 Siege: 650**

"Only 650Gs? This is going to be a piece of cake" Theodore smirked as he looked at the Power levels on his holographic screen.

"The number of Gs that a Bakugan has doesn't always display how much power a Bakugan holds" Dante said as an ability card materialized above his hand. "**Ability Activate! Heaven's Light!" **Dante said, crushing the ability card. Siege was then enshrouded with a light blue aura as he moved into a fighting stance, almost taunting Theodore to attack.

"If you're not going to attack, then I'll do it for you. **Ability Activate! Immobile!**" Theodore shouting, smashing the ability card into small bits of holographic glass-like shards. Clouds of smoke began to appear all around the battlefield as which formed into a sea of Ravenoids.

"Is that all you've got?" Dante taunted.

"Not in the least. **Ability Activate! Raven's Fury!**" All the Ravenoids were encased in a fiery green aura before they charged towards the Aquos bakugan. Siege shifted his stance slightly before he was covered in a mass of Ravenoids.

**Ravenoid: 780 Siege: 450**

Theodore smirked at Dante, only for the Aquos brawler to point downwards towards the battlefield. Theodore raised his eyebrow before turning towards the battlefield. There was some slight budging in the dome of Ravenoid, before they were all thrown off Siege's frame, the clones all turning into bursts of smoke and the original Ravenoid being sent into an office building.

"You were saying?" Dante smirked.

Theodore growled before opening his palm. "**Ability Activate! Storm Breaker!**" Ravenoid began spinning in the air as he flew towards Siege, creating a small wind dome around him.

**Ravenoid: 980 Siege: 450**

"Hn. If that's all you've got, then you're no match for Siege and I. **Ability Activate! Angel's Shield!**" Siege held his shield out to meet Ravenoid's dome. Ravenoid was trying to push through, but for some reason the wind dome was losing power and he was beginning to slow down, before being sent into another building.

**Ravenoid: 680 Siege: 850**

"What happened? I've never seen **Storm Breaker **get tossed around like that" Theodore said as Ravenoid struggled to get to his feet.

"Let me let you in on a little secret. **Angel's Shield **not only adds 100Gs to Aquos Siege, but it all absorbs the energy from the opponent's attack and transfers it to Siege. Add that to **Heaven's Light **which not only boosts up Siege's attack and defence power, but also adds an extra 100Gs to any ability card played in the next four turns" Dante said. "Time to finish this, **Ability Activate! Knight's Honour: Crystal Trident!"**

The blade of Siege's trident turned into a hard crystal which had a fiery blue aura as he began to sprint towards Ravenoid, ready to deal the final blow.

**Ravenoid: 430 Siege: 1150**

"Oh no you don't! **Gate Card Open! Curtain Call!**" Theodore called out just before Siege had struck Sentinel. The gate card was engulfed into a bright light before exploding, send both bakugan back to their partners.

"Hey, what happened?" Dante whined, stomping his feet onto the platform as a tick mark appeared on his forehead.

"I suggest you come down, my lord" Siege said, but his plea fell on deaf ears.

"Curtain Call, while I can only use it once every battle, is a very useful gate card that resets the battle and sends each bakugan on the field back to their brawlers. A useful card for scouting your opponents, don't you think?" Theodore said as he set another gate card onto the battlefield, sending green shockwaves all around the field. "Bakugan brawl! Ventus Sentinel, stand!"

"I was wondering when you were going to send me in" Sentinel said as he transformed into his bakugan form.

"Argh! I'll get you for that! Bakugan brawl, Aquos Siege, stand!" Dante said as he angrily threw Siege onto the battlefield.

**Sentinel: 700 Siege: 650**

"Looks like we have the advantage so far, so let's keep it that way. **Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!**" Theodore said. Sentinel was surrounded in a fiery green aura, which then began to form two Sentinel clones on either side of Sentinel clones began to fly towards Siege, throwing a flurry of kicks and punches towards Siege.

**Sentinel: 850 Siege: 650**

"**Ability Activate! Heaven's Light! **Siege, you know what to do" Dante said. Siege was covered a light blue aura as he got into his fighting stance, narrowing his eyes slightly as the two Sentinel clones neared him. The first clone aimed a kick towards his head while the second bombarded him with some wild punches, which he easily parried with his shield before swinging his trident horizontally towards the Sentinel clones. Siege allowed a small smile to form on his lips as his trident easily cut through the Sentinel clones, but was shocked as the Sentinel clones burst into a cloud of black smoke, rendering his eyesight useless. Siege squinted his eyes as he tried to see through the smoke, but to no avail.

"Siege, what's happening?" Dante said, his eyes widening in shock.

"Now, Sentinel, before they have a chance to recover" Theodore said as he crushed the ability card in his hand. "**Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!**"

Sentinel charged up a ball of purple energy in the middle of his palms as Siege waved his hands around frantically, trying to clear the black smoke from his peripheral vision. With a loud shout, arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from the purple ball of energy, which crashed into Siege's torso, sending him skidding along the road, a wave of destroyed tarmac following his path.

**Sentinel: 1150 Siege: 550**

"SIEGE!" Dante said as he looked towards the cloud of smoke where his bakugan had been thrown to.

"That should do the trick" Sentinel smirked, but narrowed his eyes soon after as a figure began to emerge from the depths of the smoke.

"Don't underestimate the strength of the bond that I share with my master, or else it will be your downfall" Siege said as he twirled his trident around.

"Alright, we can still win this! **Ability Activate! Tri Dragon Storm!**" Dante shouted cheerfully. Siege was covered in a tornado of water. Sentinel widened his eyes as the water tornado began to take the form of a dragon which, when Siege pointed his trident towards him, shot forward, aiming to deal some terrible damage. Sentinel, not having the time to dodge due to the unnatural speed of the water dragon, took the force head on, sending him through a few buildings.

**Sentinel: 850 Siege: 850**

"How do you like that, huh?" Dante smirked.

Sentinel coughed out some water as he struggled to get to his feet, which wings now drenched which would make him unable to fly for the time being. He allowed a small smile to form on his lips. This was definitely going to be interesting. Picking himself off, he crossed his arms and locked his eyes with Siege as they engaged themselves in a heated stare down, taunting the over to make a move. Dante—keeping up to his childish nature—began to lose his patience.

"This… Is… BORING! **Ability Activate! Aquos Haven!**" Dante growled. The battlefield was soon engulfed in a mass of water, reaching up to Siege and Sentinel's knees.

**Sentinel: 850 Siege: 1050**

"Is that all you've got? A bunch of water?" Theodore laughed.

"Don't count your chickens just yet" Dante said, crushing the ability card in his hand. "**Ability Activate! Eye of the Whirlpool!"**

Sentinel's eyes were covered in a light blue aura as the water around them began to move around frantically, rising up to great heights. Sentinel narrowed his eyes as the water formed a huge dome around the two bakugan.

"If this is all you've got, then I guess my expectations of this battle has severely dwindled" Sentinel said, separating his feet slightly as he held up two fingers in the middle of his face while his other arm grasped his elbow, keeping his arm in place. "Theodore, you know what to do."

"**Ability Activate! Aerial Ace!**"

A smug grin formed on Sentinel's lips as he disappeared from Siege's peripheral vision. Siege narrowed his eyes slightly before moving his shield to the side, blocking an incoming punch from Sentinel. Sentinel smiled slightly at Siege's ability to doge such a high speed punch, but then again, that was just the beginning.

**Sentinel: 950 Siege: 1050**

Sentinel gave Siege a cheeky smile before disappearing again. Siege searched around the dome, knowing he wouldn't have gotten out due to rapid movement of the water. Suddenly, Siege felt a strong kick to his back, sending him stumbling forward, but managed to get his footing before he fell to the ground. However, with his guard now lowered, he received a powerful right hook. Before Siege could raise his guard up, he felt Sentinel's talons sink into his stomach, sending him just a few centimetres away from the dome. Sentinel now stood in the middle of the dome, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Come on Siege! Get back in there!" Dante said, trying to motivate his partner.

"Don't worry, master. I will not let you down" Siege said as he slowly got to his feet, ignoring the pain.

"That's the spirit! **Ability Activate! Shark Torpedo!**" Dante shouted excitedly.

"Spirits of the Sea, lend me your energy!" Siege said as he twirled the trident around in his left hand before aiming it at Sentinel. Instantly three water sharks shot out from the dome all charging towards Sentinel, who had now lost his boost in speed, and was only able to take the full force of the attack. The force of the attack sent him straight into the water dome, which began to circle him around the dome before _spitting _him back into the dome. Sentinel choked as he struggled to get to his feet, the fast moving waves leaving him a bit winded.

**Sentinel: 750 Siege: 1250**

"There it is. Dante pulls off a magnificent

"Master, I do believe it is time to finish this fight" Siege said, almost as his energy depleted as he shifted all his weight onto his trident.

"I couldn't agree more" Danto said as he held up a holographic card above his hand.

"Oh, no you don't" Theodore said as he had an ability card ready at his fingertips.

"**Ability Activate! Knight's Honour: Vorpal Blade!**"

"**Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Soul Tempest: Final Judgement!**"

Siege was covered in a blazing blue aura as he charged forward, aiming his trident—which now had elongated blades—forward. At the same time, the battle was covered in a blanket of darkness, the only visible light being Siege's blazing blue aura and Sentinel green aura with purple wisps which covered his fists and feet. The two bakugan clashed in the middle, fists meeting trident as both bakugan battled for dominance. Seconds later, there was a loud explosion, both the challengers and the audience hanging on the edge of their seats as the wondered which bakugan had taken the first victory.

Suddenly, there was a flash of green as Sentinel returned to his ball form and landed at Theodore's feet, leaving Siege alone on the battlefield.

**Sentinel: 1050(K.O) Siege: 1350**

"There you have it, folks. Dante Pierce and his Aquos Siege take the first win of the Preliminary Knockout Stage of the Summer Tournament!" the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers as the crowd erupted in cheers at the magnificent battle display.

"I'm sorry, Theodore. I wasn't strong enough" Sentinel said as Theodore picked him up.

"Don't worry, Sentinel. You tried your best. Now that we know how they fight, I've got a perfect strategy to deal with them in the second match" Theodore said as he watched Dante jump around happily, ecstatic about grabbing the first win of the tournament.

* * *

Streak-Blazer and Lazuli were locked in a heated stare, waiting for their partners to make a move.

**Streak-Blazer: 750 Lazuli: 750**

"**Ability Activate! Sonic Blaze!**" Amy shouted as she selected an ability card from her holographic screen. Streak-Blazer wings and feet were now surrounded in a fiery red aura. The Pyrus bakugan smirked before flying at high speeds, looking almost as if she was teleporting as she appeared at random in every direction. Lazuli was able to dodge almost all of Streak-Blazer's blows—only just taking a few hits here and there—but she couldn't help but feel something was off. Her eyes slowly widened when she figured it out. This was only a distraction. However, before she could react, she felt Streak-Blazer foot connect with the side of her head.

**Streak-Blazer: 900 Lazuli: 500**

"Chinatsu, a little help here" Lazuli said, regaining her footing at the last second as she landed on her paws.

"R-right. **Ability Activate, Jungle Spirit!**" Chinatsu stuttered.

"I'll show you the true queen of speed" Lazuli said as she sprinted towards Streak-Blazer at lightning fast speeds—despite the large amount of sand beneath her feet—before bashing into the Pyrus bakugan's stomach, leaving Streak-Blazer winded. Giving her no time to recover, Lazuli then followed it up with a scratch to Streak-Blazer's chest, sending her to the ground.

**Streak-Blazer: 800 Lazuli: 600**

"Lucky shot" Streak-Blazer growled as she got to her feet. "Amy, hit me up with another one."

"**Ability Activate! Dragon's Hammer!" **Amy shouted. Streak-Blazer shot forward, aiming her fist—which was now covered in a blazing red aura—towards the Haos bakugan, raising her power level by 200Gs to 1000Gs, while decreasing Lazuli's power level by the same amount, dropping it down to 400Gs.

"Um, **Ability Activate! Electro Slash!**" Chinatsu said shyly. Lazuli charged towards Streak-Blazer, her claws—which has grown slightly longer and were now surrounded in yellow electric sparks—meeting Streak-Blazer's fist. A cloud of smoke erupted from where the two attacks met, sending both bakugan flying backwards. Streak-Blazer used her wings to balance herself, while Lazuli landed on her paws at the last second, skidding backwards slightly.

**Streak-Blazer: 700 Lazuli: 700**

"Looks like we're evenly matched… but not for long" Amy said, smiling. "I never thought I would have to result to this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Come, Bakugan Trap: Chartah!"

Amy smiled as she threw a parallelogram-shaped prism onto the battlefield. A tornado of fire surrounded the Bakugan Trap before a figure burst through. The Bakugan Trap was a cheetah with reddish-orange fur and charcoal black spots. It had elongated claws that were made from bronze, and a small flame sat on the tip of its tail.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 970 Lazuli: 700**

_Cheetah's are notoriously known for their speed, and add that to Streak-Blazer's own speed, I may not be able to handle the both of them, _Lazuli said as she narrowed her eyes at the two Pyrus bakugan. _Chinatsu, I hope you make the correct move._

"C-come, Bakugan T-trap: Fencer!" Chinatsu stammered, throwing the cube-shaped Bakugan Trap onto the battlefield. Fencer bashed his sword and shield together before taking a protective stance in front of Lazuli, glaring at the Pyrus bakugan.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 970 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050**

"You may have the advantage, but the tides can turn very quickly in a battle" Amy said. "**Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon!**"

The spots on Chartah's body began to shift from black to red as she sprinted towards Fencer, before releasing numerous streams of fire. As she neared the Haos Trap Bakugan, she began to spin, the streams of fire creating a protective dome of fire around her.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1170 Lazuli/Fencer: 850**

"**Ability Activate! Emperor Shield!**" Chinatsu said. Fencer quickly moved into his shield stance, a yellow hexagonal barrier forming around him and Lazuli just before Chartah's attack could make contact. However, Chartah was persistent, the flames around her slowly increasing as she tried to break through the barrier. Fencer tried to hold it to the best of his ability, but was clearly struggling, which was shown by cracks that were slowly appearing on the barrier. Fencer has beads of sweat running down his face as he tried to hold the barrier, but that proved to be a struggle as the cracks soon began to join at the tip of Chartah's fire dome, before she burst through and bashed into Fencer, sending him rolling backwards.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1170 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250**

"Fencer!" Chinatsu cried as she watched her Trap Bakugan get tossed aside so easily.

"Chinatsu, get a hold of yourself. You can still turn this around if you believe in yourself" Lazuli advised her partner.

"Y-you're right, Lazuli. I-I can't just give up now" Chinatsu nodded slowly with newfound determination. At the same time, Fencer was slowly picking himself, a determined look now forming on his face. "That's the spirit, Fencer. **Ability Activate! Sword Ravager!**"

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 770 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250**

The tip of Fencer's sword was covered in a white aura before he charged towards Chartah. However, despite his now raised spirits, Chartah was still faster than, and managed to dodge all of Fencer's swings. Getting tired of Fencer's advancements, Chartah ducked underneath Fencer's swing before scratching her metallic claws on Fencer's chest, sending him skidding backwards.

"Let's show those two some real firepower!" Streak-Blazer said, getting fired up.

"**Double Ability Activate! Blazing Fury plus Dragon's Roar!**"

Streak-Blazer was surrounded in a fiery red aura that resembled a flame as she flew towards Fencer, spinning around in a similar fashion to Chartah's **Phoenix Flame Cannon**. At the same time, Chartah's maw began to glow before she let out a fierce roar, shooting red rings that resembled shockwaves out of her maw, which wrapped around Streak-Blazer, strengthening her attack. Fencer had no time to defend himself as the attack hit him head on, causing him to be terminated from the battle.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1070 Lazuli: 850**

"Now let's finish this. **Double Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon plus Blazing Fury!**" Chartah began to release bursts of fire from her dots while Streak-Blazer was covered in a dome of fire. The two Pyrus bakugan began to spin around each other as they neared Lazuli, creating a huge tornado of fire that smashed into Lazuli, knocking her out of the battle and grabbing the first win.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1370 Lazuli: 550(K.O)**

"Amy and her guardian bakugan totally lit the stage in flames as they grab the first win of the First Round" the announcer said, his voice just barely being heard as the crowd erupted in a volley of cheers.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help out there, Lazuli-san. I could've done better" Chinatsu said as she picked up her guardian bakugan from the ground.

"It's not your fault, Chinatsu. We all make mistakes sometimes. But all we can do now is keep moving forward" Lazuli said, slowly bringing up her partner's confidence.

* * *

"**Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!**"

"**Ability Activate! Angel's Shield!**"

Sentinel charged up a ball of purple energy which then shot out arrow-like tendrils towards Siege, but used **Angel's Shield **to successfully shield himself from the attack and absorb the energy from the blow.

**Siege: 850 Sentinel: 800**

"I'm sick and tired of always staying on the defensive side. It's time to crank things up a notch!" Dante said angrily as he crushed the holographic gate card in his hands. "**Ability Activate! Tri Dragon Storm!**"

A dome of water burst from the ground and formed a dragon of water around Siege, who then sprinted forward, aiming his trident at Siege.

**Siege: 1150 Sentinel: 500**

"Time for a power boost of our own. **Ability Activate! Demonic Ascension!**" Dark clouds began to form above Sentinel, before a bolt of purple lightning shot down towards Sentinel, giving him an increase in strength and speed as a dark purple aura formed around him. Grinning evilly, he flew forward, throwing his fist to meet the water dragon. Both attacks collided, the impact creating a large crater beneath them. Both bakugan fought for dominance, but when it was clear that they would get nowhere with this, they separated, however never taking the eyes of the other.

**Siege: 1150 Sentinel: 800**

"Argh! Gate card, open! **Aquos Hazard!**" Dante said as the gate card lit up from beneath the bakugan's feet. Sentinel's body began to glow before he turned from green and black to a light blue colour.

"What the—What happened to my awesome green and black colour scheme?" Sentinel said, an expression of disgust evident of his face as he rubbed his body, frantically trying to rid himself of the horrible blue colour scheme but to no avail. "I definitely do not good look in blue."

"How does it feel to become an Aquos Bakugan? Doesn't it feel great?" Dante smiled.

"Don't think I'm going to just hand you a win on a silver platter. **Ability Card Activate! Spiral Shatter!**" Theodore said just before Dante could play another ability card. A ball of wind began to form in Sentinel's right hand, before he brought it down towards the ground, shattering the gate card and turning Sentinel back to his normal colour scheme.

"Hey, no fair. I haven't even gotten the chance to play **Tsunami **yet!" Dante said, stomping his foot on the ground.

"My lord, I suggest you calm down. It is not a good strategy to battle when stressed" Siege advised his partner.

"You're right, Siege. We can't back down now" Dante said, quickly gaining his composure. He then pulled out a cube-shaped bakugan before throwing it onto the battlefield. "Siege, time for some backup. Come, Bakugan Trap: Manta!"

A torrent of water shot out from where the cube-shaped bakugan had landed before the water sunk back down into the ground, revealing a blue manta ray with really light blue—almost white—stomach. She had a large fin on her back and a small cannon on the end of her tail.

**Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel: 800**

"Time for some backup of our own. Come, Bakugan Trap: Oragon!" Dante said, throwing the spherical Bakugan Trap onto the battlefield. Oragon stood beside Sentinel, arms crossed and his scarf covering his mouth as he kept his eye on the two bakugan in front of him.

**Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel/Oragon: 1070**

"**Ability Activate! Aquashot!**" Manta aimed her tail at Oragon before shooting a round of blue laser beams towards the Ventus Bakugan Trap. The scarf that Oragon wore formed a pair of purple wings on his back before he shot into the air, skilfully dodging the laser beams.

**Siege/Manta: 1400 Sentinel/Oragon: 1070**

"You call _that _firepower? **Ability Activate! Destiny Flight!**" Theodore taunted. Clouds began to form above Oragon, who was pointing his finger towards the sky. He took a look at the two Aquos bakugan beneath him before pointing his finger in their direction. As soon as he did this, purple lightning shot down towards Siege and Manta, both bakugan crying out in pain as electricity coursed through their bodies.

**Siege/Manta: 1100 Sentinel/Oragon: 1070**

"Now, Theodore. Before they have a chance to recover!" Sentinel said.

"**Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!**" Dante shouted as Sentinel charged up a sphere of purple energy in his hands. With a loud battle cry, numerous tendrils shot out of the ball, each of them striking the Aquos bakugan below them, sending them into the walls of what looked to be a shopping centre.

**Siege/Manta: 1000 Sentinel/Oragon: 1200**

"You call that teamwork?! I'll blow your socks off with this move!" Dante said determinedly as Siege and Manta got to their feet and began to charge towards Sentinel and Oragon. "**Ability Activate! Sky Surfer!**"

Mid-charge, Siege jumped on top of Manta, now riding on the manta ray as they charged forward. The two Ventus bakugan just narrowly managed to dodge Siege's spear, but the Aquos team showed no signs of stopping. "**Double Ability Activate! Knight's Honour: Crystal Trident plus Manta Ray!**"

Siege threw his trident towards Sentinel, which had now shifted from its original metal substance to a hard crystal material. At the same time, Manta shot a blue laser beam from its mouth and tail, which wrapped around the trident as it soared towards the Hybrid bakugan.

**Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel/Oragon: 700**

"**Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!**" Theodore shouted, crushing the holographic card in the middle of his palm. Sentinel's wings began to harden into a diamond-like substance similar to the one on Siege's trident, which he used to shield himself from the combined attack from Siege and Manta. While he had successfully shielded himself from the blow, the attack did send him skidding back a few feet.

**Siege/Manta: 1300 Sentinel/Oragon: 800**

"We'll show you a true collaboration technique! **Double Ability Activate, Velocity Burst**" Oragon was covered in a fiery green aura before he flew towards Siege and Manta, "**... plus Reaper's Void!**" A trio of tendrils shot out from Sentinel's purple sphere, wrapping themselves around Oragon, who bashed into Siege—who was separated from the Aquos Bakugan Trap—and Manta—who was knocked out of the battle. However, the victory was short-lived as Oragon himself was also knocked out of the battle.

**Siege: 800 Sentinel: 530**

"Let's finish this Sentinel!" Theodore said to his partner, who was panting slightly. "**Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!**" Sentinel was covered in a white aura which formed four Sentinel clones, two on each side. Nodding to each other, the clones charged forward towards the Aquos bakugan.

**Siege: 800 Sentinel: 680**

"Argh! Why won't you just fall?!" Dante said angrily, taking a look at his partner who was also showing signs of fatigue. "**Ability Activate! Shark Torpedo!**" Water shot up from the ground in front of Siege, which formed three water sharks. The sharks smashed straight into the clones, and Siege allowed himself a small smile, but he forgot to spot one of the clones that had dodged the shark. However, it was too late, and Siege soon felt a clone take hold of his arms from behind, holding him in place. Normally, Siege would have the strength to release himself from the grapple, but due to the fatigue, all he could do was struggle to break free, but all his attempts were in vain.

**Siege: 1000 Sentinel: 480**

"Now, Sentinel! **Ability Activate! Soul Judgment: Leaf Hurricane!**" Theodore shouted with all his might. Sentinel smirked, before vanishing from Siege's field of vision. Siege widened his eyes in surprise as he searched the battlefield for Sentinel's presence. He felt the clone release his hold, but before he could react, he felt Sentinel's foot smash into his jaw, sending him into the sky. Sentinel shot up towards Siege, and wrapped his wings and arms around Siege's frame. As they began to make their descent towards the ground, Sentinel began to spin them both around, creating a low whistling sound. Just before the two bakugan touched the ground, Sentinel separated from Siege, and he watched as Siege's body impacted with the ground, creating a small crater where he landed. Sentinel grinned as Siege was covered in a light blue aura before returning to his ball form and landing at Dante's feet.

**Siege: 700(K.O) Sentinel: 980**

* * *

"Gate card, set!" Chinatsu said as a gate card materialised onto the sandy floor, sending yellow shockwaves all around the field. "Bakugan brawl! Haos Lazuli, stand!"

Lazuli let out a roar as she landed on the gate card, determined to grab the win and keep them from losing in the tournament so early.

"I've got to admit, I like your style, but I'm the one who is going to win this battle" Amy said as she threw Streak-Blazer onto the gate card. "Bakugan brawl! Pyrus Streak-Blazer, stand!"

**Lazuli: 750 Streak-Blazer: 750**

"**A-ability Activate! Soft Paws**" Chinatsu said, tapping on one of the ability cards on her holographic screen. Lazuli's paws were covered in a light yellow aura as she ran towards Streak-Blazer, throwing numerous palm attacks at the Pyrus bakugan.

**Lazuli: 950 Streak-Blazer: 550**

"**Ability Activate! Dragon's Hammer!**" Amy said as Streak-Blazer's hands were coated in flames, easily matching Lazuli's blows, leaving both bakugan at a stalemate and putting their Gs back to their base levels.

"You're going to have to do better than that, kitty cat" Streak-Blazer taunted as Lazuli let out a low growl at the statement.

"**Ability Activate! Infinite Blaze!**" Streak-Blazer was surrounding in an aura of fire, which she then began to channel towards her right hand as it formed a fire ball in the middle of her palms that was steadily growing in size.

"Chinatsu, if you're going to do something, now would be a good time" Lazuli said.

"G-got it. **Ability Activate, Electroburst!**" Lazuli opened her maw as she began to charge up a light blue ball, completely made of electricity. When each of their attacks were of a reasonable size, Lazuli and Streak-Blazer released their attacks. Fire and electricity clashed as they fought for dominance, but exploded in a cloud of smoke as they couldn't contain their energy enough longer.

**Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 450**

"Now, L-Lazuli-san. **Ability Activate! Diamond Fangs!**" Chinatsu said. Lazuli burst through the smoke, surprising Streak-Blazer as she bit into the Pyrus bakugan's shoulder with her now diamond sabretooth fangs, finishing off the attack with a swift kick to Streak-Blazer's abdomen, sending her down into the sand-covered ground.

_At this rate, we're probably not going to get anywhere, _Amy thought. Little did she now that her opponent was also thinking along the same lines.

_Come on, there's got to be something that can give us the edge we need, _Chinatsu thought, before her eyes widened in realization. "Gate card, open! **Triple Battle!**"

The gate card glowed white as both bakugan were frozen on the spot, waiting for another bakugan to enter the field. "It's been a while since I've used you, but I'm counting on you" Chinatsu said softly as she gripped the bakugan in her hand tightly, before turning her gaze towards the battlefield. "Bakugan brawl! Robotallion, stand!"

**Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 450**

**Robotallion: 500**

"Now, Robotallion! **Ability Activate! Robotallion Enforcement!**" Chinatsu shouted. Robotallion was surrounded in a yellow aura before he charged towards Streak-Blazer. Streak-Blazer dodged the first swing towards her head, before parrying the next blow that was aimed at her side. Robotallion once again aimed at Streak-Blazer's head, which she easily ducked under, but her eyes quickly widened when she realized it was a feint. Robotallion then aimed his right leg at her face, Streak-Blazer only just managing to shield her face with her hands as she was sent a few feet backwards.

**Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 450**

**Robotallion: 600**

"Is that all you've got? I've seen Centipoids that hit harder than you" Streak-Blazer taunted, dusting herself off.

"I'm just getting started" Chinatsu said, filled with newfound determination. "**Double Ability Activate! Plasma Cannon...**"

Robotallion aimed his hands at Streak-Blazer, the cannons on his arms glowing before firing multiple yellow beams towards Streak-Blazer. The Pyrus bakugan easily dodged the beams, however, she failed to notice Lazuli who had now leapt into the air off of Robotallion's shoulders. "… **plus Soft Paws!**" Lazuli sent numerous palm attacks into Streak-Blazer's stomach, knocking the air out of the Pyrus bakugan as she was sent back down into the ground.

**Lazuli: 650 Streak-Blazer: 150**

**Robotallion: 800**

"Amy, do something" Streak-Blazer groaned as she struggled to get to her feet.

"We'll counter with a double ability of our own! **Double Ability Activate! Ancient Power plus Sonic Blaze!**" Amy shouted. Streak-Blazer was surrounded in a raging white aura, and her palms, which were now covered in flames, began to form a fireball in her hands. The white aura was slowly channeled into the fireball, making it grow in size. With a loud cry, Streak-Blazer shot the fireball towards the two Haos bakugan.

**Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 750**

**Robotallion: 400**

"**Ability Activate! Haos Barrier!**" Robotallion slammed his hands to the ground, and a wall made of a yellow aura shot up from the ground, shielding Lazuli and Robotallion from the attack. The fireball connected with the wall, leaving a cloud of smoke where the fireball smashed into the wall.

**Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 650**

**Robotallion: 500**

Robotallion released the ability, causing the wall to fade out. However, as soon as he did this, Streak-Blazer shot through the cloud of smoke, shocking the two Haos bakugan as they were unable to dodge Streak-Blazer's next move.

"**Ability Activate! Poison Fang!**" Streak-Blazer grinned evilly before she—somehow—sunk her fangs—which were now covered in a purple aura—into Robotallion's shoulder. At first there was no initial impact, but a few seconds later, Robotallion dropped to his knee, clutching his shoulder in pain as he panted heavily.

**Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 750**

**Robotallion: 300**

"Robotallion?! What happened?" Chinatsu said as she worriedly watched her bakugan struggle to his feet, only for his attempts to be in vain as he soon fell back to his knees.

"Poison Fang is an ability card that—if carried out successfully—sends a vile poison into the opponent's bakugan's system. Usually, it takes a couple of rounds for the bakugan to feel the effects of the poison, but I guess the fact that normal bakugan are naturally weaker than guardian bakugan, means the poison runs through the circulatory system much quicker" Amy grinned. "Due to this revelation, I guess your bakugan has about two or three rounds before he is knocked out of the battle."

"Then we have to make use of those chances" Lazuli said, turning her gaze to her partner. Chinatsu nodded before selecting a card on her holographic screen.

"**Ability Activate! Haos: Spiral Sniper!**" Robotallion's fists began to glow yellow before they shot off his arms, flying towards Streak-Blazer. However, due to the poison, they were slightly slow in terms of speed, which allowed Streak-Blazer to maneuver past them with ease. Robotallion soon fell to his knees afterwards, his hands—which had been reattached to his arms—over his mouth, barely holding in the violent coughs.

**Lazuli: 250 Streak-Blazer: 550**

**Robotallion: 500**

"Looks like robot boy over there isn't doing so good" Streak-Blazer said, feigning surprise. "Why don't we put him out of his misery?"

"**Ability Activate!** **Dragon's Hammer!**" Amy said. Streak-Blazer fists were covered in a fiery red aura as she sped towards the poisoned Robotallion, raising her Gs from 550Gs to 750Gs while dropping each of the other bakugan's Gs by 200Gs each.

"Oh no you don't. **Ability Activate! Electroburst!**" Lazuli charged up a light blue ball of electricity in her mouth, before shooting it towards Streak-Blazer, paralyzing her as the ball of electricity connected with the side of her stomach, sending her to the side.

"Argh! I can't move!" Streak-Blazer said as she struggled to move, but to avail.

**Lazuli: 450 Streak-Blazer: 750**

**Robotallion: 400**

"Robotallion!" Chinatsu said, shocked as Robotallion just managed to get to his feet, despite the damage the poison was doing to his body.

"Can you still continue?" Lazuli said, receiving a curt nod from the robot-like bakugan.

"Okay, let's make this count. **Double Ability Activate! Haos: Mach Punch…**" Robotallion rushed towards the paralyzed Streak-Blazer, smashing his aura encased fist into Streak-Blazer's stomach, sending her into the sky. At the same time, Lazuli leaped off Robotallion's shoulders, her claws—which had grown out and were surrounded in yellow electric sparks—aimed at Streak-Blazer. "**… Plus Electro Slash!"**

Lazuli drove her claws her claws into Streak-Blazer's stomach. Streak-Blazer let out a cry of pain as she began to glow red before returning back to her ball form and landing at Amy's feet. Lazuli roared triumphantly and Robotallion got into his fighting stance before both bakugan were covered in a yellow aura and returned into their ball forms.

**Lazuli: 750 Streak-Blazer: 250(K.O)**

**Robotallion: 600**

"What a spectacular battle! Both contenstants are neck and neck as we go into the third round to determine who will walk out of the arena victorious!" the announcer said as both girls had a determined glint in their eyes, knowing fully well that they would have to go all out in their next battle if they stood a chance of qualifying to the next round.

* * *

"So, final round, huh? I have to say I've never been pushed this far before so it's time to get serious!" Dante said, a determined grin forming on his face.

"You? Serious? You didn't pass me off as someone who could be serious, but I guess I'll play along" Theodore smirked. "Besides, since it's the final battle I guess I have to give it my all, and I'd rather have you at your best than hand me a victory on a silver platter."

Dante's grin widened as Theodore's gate card materialized onto the battlefield, sending green shockwaves all around the concrete ground. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Let's end this, Ventus Sentinel!"

"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand! Show them your true power, Aquos Siege!"

**Sentinel: 700 Siege: 650**

"**Ability Activate! Demonic Ascension!**" Purple lightning shot down from the sky, powering up Sentinel as he was now surrounded in a dark purple aura, raising his G-Power to 1000Gs.

"Hey! You're not going to try attack?!" Dante yelled.

"I like to keep it small from the start" Theodore shrugged. "Besides, I can't show all my trump cards yet."

"If you're going to power up, then we'll do the same. **Ability Activate! Heaven's Light!**" Siege was covered in a heavenly aura as his defense and attack power increased. Sentinel smirked before charging forward. Siege narrowed his eyes before bringing his shield in front of him, blocking Sentinel's punch before swinging his trident towards Sentinel's side. Sentinel ducked underneath, before quickly flying a few feet backwards, just barely dodging an incoming kick from the Aquos bakugan.

"**Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!**" Theodore said, crushing the ability card in his hands. A ball of purple energy began to form in Sentinel's hands before arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from it, all aimed at Siege.

**Sentinel: 1200 Siege: 600**

"**Ability Activate! Angel's Shield!**" Siege brought his shield up in front of him, all the energy from the attack absorbed into the shield, nullifying the ability.

**Sentinel: 900 Siege: 900**

"Now, Siege. Let's show them what happens when we throw their power back at them" Dante said, clenching his fist as the holographic card shattered in his hands. "**Ability Activate! Tri Dragon Storm!**" A torrent of water shot up from the ground, wrapping itself around Siege as it formed into a dragon-like creature. Siege rushed forward, his trident aimed at Sentinel, who—due to the large size of the water dragon—was unable to dodge in time and took the full force of the attack, sending him into a couple of buildings.

**Sentinel: 600 Sentinel: 1200**

Siege narrowed his eyes at the cloud of smoke in front of him, waiting for Sentinel to surface, but nothing seemed to happen. Gripping his trident tightly, he let his eyes roam around the battlefield, looking for any signs of the Hybrid bakugan.

"**Fusion Ability Activate! Shadow Assault!**" There was a flash of green a few feet in front of him, before four Sentinel's burst through the smoke, sending a barrage of kicks and punches towards the Aquos bakugan. Siege readied his shield, knowing full well what would happen if he destroyed them. However, due to the fact that he couldn't destroy them, Siege was easily subdued by the clones, each gripping either his arms or legs.

"Now, **Ability Activate! Reaper's Void!**" Arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from the smoke, making contact with Siege's abdomen as he was sent flying, the clones releasing their hold from him at the last second. However, due to the activation of **Heaven's Light**, his aura coat had taken some of the damage from the attack, allowing him to recover much quicker.

**Sentinel: 950 Siege: 1100 **

"You'll pay for that. **Ability Activate! Eye of the Whirpool!**" Masses of water shot out from the ground, leaving deep holes in the ground. The water then combined before forming a dome of constantly flowing water around the two bakugan. "Don't think I'm done yet. **Ability Activate! Shark Torpedo!**"

Three water sharks formed from the dome, however, it didn't seem to affect the size of the dome. The water sharks swam forward, their jaws opened—showing their razor-sharp teeth—as they smashed into Sentinel, sending him to the ground as they exploded on impact, leaving a crater in the ground.

**Sentinel: 750 Siege: 1300**

"Looks like we're going to need some help if we going to take Siege down" Sentinel said, coughing out the water that had filled up his lungs as he struggled to get to his feet. Theodore nodded in response as he threw a green spherical bakugan onto the field.

"Come, Bakugan Trap: Oragon!" Theodore yelled as Oragon transformed into his bakugan form.

"Time to even the playing field! Come, Bakugan Trap: Manta!" Dante said as he threw the cube-shaped bakugan trap onto the battlefield.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 1020 Siege/Manta: 1450**

"**Ability Activate! Full Moon!**" Oragon's eyes flashed a dark shade of purple before all the bakugan were covered in a purple aura, dropping their Gs back to their base levels.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Siege/Manta: 800**

"Hey! That's not fair!" Dante yelled, stomping his feet on the ground.

"I wasn't going to just hand you the advantage. Besides, no one said you had to play fair when brawling" Theodore smirked.

"No matter. I'm still winning this thing. **Ability Activate! Manta Ray!**" Dante said through gritted teeth. Manta charged up some energy in her mouth and tail before shooting it towards Oragon and Sentinel, the two beams combining as they neared their targets.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 670 Siege/Manta: 800**

"Sentinel, **Ability Activate! Diamond Edge!**" Sentinel's wings shifted into a hard diamond substance before shielding himself and Oragon from the combined power of the beam. "Now it's our turn to take the advantage. **Double Ability Activate! Destiny Flight plus Reaper's Void!**"

Sentinel charged up a purple sphere of energy in his hands while Oragon shot up off the ground, his index finger pointed to the sky as dark clouds formed over the battlefield and flashes of purple could be seen every few seconds. Sentinel yelled as arrow-shaped tendrils shot out from the ball, while at the same time, purple lightning shot down from the sky, curtesy of Oragon. The lightning then wrapped itself around the purple beams, strengthening the attack as it collided with the two bakugan, sending multiple jolts of electricity into their bodies as they were sent flying back.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Siege/Manta: 400**

"Master, with the way things are going, it seems that it'll just end up like the last battle" Siege said as the he and Manta struggled to rise from the attack. "At this rate, we may have to use _that _ability card if we even stand a chance of winning."

"Are you sure, Siege? Even if we use _it_, we can't guarantee that we can win even with _that _ability card played, and you know what happens after _it _runs out" Dante said, a worried tone evident in his voice.

"At this rate, it's our only hope" Siege said.

"Hey, are you guys going to battle or what?" Sentinel said, wanting the battle to continue.

"Are you ready, Manta?" Siege said, turning towards his partner, who only nodded her head in confirmation.

"Okay Siege. Let's do this. **Ability Activate! Aquos Formation!**" Dante yelled. Siege and Manta were covered in a light blue aura as they collided into each other, and a bright light engulfed the entire battlefield. When the light died down, only Siege was left standing, with some minor changes. Siege was not holding his shield in his right hand anymore, Manta was now attached to Siege's back, with her tail wrapped around his trident. Some light blue tribal markings were also engraved all over his armor.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 970 Siege: 600**

"Okay, Siege. Let's do this. **Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Delta Dragon!**" The water from the dome wrapped around Siege, forming a water dragon like **Tri Dragon Storm**. However, the noticeable difference was the dragon was now larger in size, and hard blue rings wrapped around it.

"Holy—" Sentinel was barely able to finish the sentence when the water dragon crashed into him and Oragon, knocking them both through a number of buildings, knocking all the wind out of them. Sentinel clutched his stomach as he struggled to his feet, his eyes glued to Siege who was slowly making his way towards them.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 570 Siege: 1000**

"Theodore, DO SOMETHING!" Sentinel yelled.

"**Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Leaf Hurricane!**" Sentinel was covered in a light green aura as he got to his feet, before disappearing from Siege's view. However, the now more powerful Siege was better prepared, and managed to grasp Sentinel's foot before it even connected with his jaw, stunning both Sentinel and his partner.

"WHAT?! How was he even able to stop that?!" Sentinel yelled as he was lifted off the ground by his leg.

"This form of Siege has way more power than when he is in his base form, so don't take us lightly" Dante grinned. "**Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Razor Overkill!**" Three water sharks formed behind Siege and began to spin around before forming a gigantic shark, which smashed into Sentinel, sending him down to the ground where it formed a large crater on impact, boulders of concrete flying around everywhere.

**Sentinel/Oragon: 350 Siege: 1300**

"Got any more of your petty attack to try out?" Dante taunted, causing Theodore to growl lowly as he crushed the card in his hand.

"**Ability Activate! Velocity Burst!**" Oragon was covered in a fiery green aura before he charged towards Siege, intending to end the battle right there. However, his efforts were in vain as Siege managed to block all his blows before grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the ground.

"**Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Knight's Honour: Crystal Shard Decimation!**" Siege's trident was covered in a blazing blue aura and the material shifted from metal to diamond as he shoved his trident into Oragon's stomach, knocking him out of the battle.

**Sentinel: 50 Siege: 1400**

"Time to finish this. **Ability Activate! Collaboration Ability: Knight's Honour: Excalibur's Will!**" The raging blue aura around Siege's trident spread around his whole body as he hovered a few metres above Sentinel, who was still lying on the ground in pain.

"Got any last words before we blast your bakugan into oblivion?" Dante said.

"Just five. Gate card, open! **Ventus Barrier**!" Theodore said just before Siege's trident had made contact with Sentinel. There was a loud explosion, and Dante was looking hopeful, but as the smoke began to clear, he noticed a light green barrier that had shielded Sentinel from the blow.

**Sentinel: 400 Siege: 500**

"What?! NO!" Dante groaned as Siege fell on one knee, Manta knocked out of the battlefield as he panted heavily, clutching his chest. "How were you able to counter Siege's ultimate move."

"The gate card **Ventus Barrier **not only shields my bakugan from the opponent's attack, but it also transfers the energy from the attack into my bakugan" Theodor grinned, ability card at the ready as Sentinel got to his feet. "Now, time to end this this. **Ability Activate! Soul Tempest: Final Judgement!**" The entire battlefield was engulfed in darkness, the only visible light radiating from Sentinel's hands and feet, which were covered in a fiery green aura with purple wisps. With a loud battle cry, Sentinel charged forward, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks on Siege as he knocked the Aquos bakugan out of the battle, securing their victory.

**Sentinel: 900 Siege: 200(K.O)**

"I… lost…" Dante said sadly, falling to his knees as Siege landed by his feet, tears forming in his eyes. He could hear someone walking towards him, but didn't think much about it.

"Hey, don't sweat it. You pretty much gave me a run for money in the last round" Theodore said. "If I hadn't remembered about my gate card and used it at the last second, I would've been toast for sure. Besides, shouldn't you be happy? You gave it all you got, that's the most important part. Now you know where your limits lie and how you focus your time on improving your flaws."

Dante looked up with tear stained eyes to see Theodore hold out his hand towards him. Dante allowed a smile to form on his face as he picked Siege off the ground and shook Theodore's hand. "Next time, I'll win for sure. Believe it!" Dante said with a toothy grin.

"I'll be waiting" Theodore said, matching Dante's grin.

"There you have it folks. Dante Pierce and the winner of the First Round, Theodore James!" the announcer said, the crowd erupting in applause as the two brawlers left the stadium.

* * *

"**Ability Activate! Sonic Blaze!**"

"**Ability Activate! Jungle Spirit!"**

Streak-Blazer rushed towards Lazuli at lightning fast speed, throwing wild punches towards the Haos bakugan, who had dodged all the blows with her ability enhanced speed.

**Streak-Blazer: 850 Lazuli: 750**

"**Ability Activate! Ancient Power!**" Amy said. Streak-Blazer was covered in a blazing red aura, which was then transferred to her arm as it formed a gigantic fireball in her palms. Streak-Blazer let out a loud cry as she released the fireball.

"**Ability Activate! Electroburst!**" Chinatsu said. Lazuli charged up a ball of blue electricity in her maw before firing, colliding with the fireball as it created a cloud of smoke in the middle of the field.

**Streak-Blazer: 1150 Lazuli: 900**

_Dang it, we're not going to get anywhere like this_, Amy thought as she threw in a parallelogram-shaped prism onto the battlefield. "Come, Bakugan Trap: Chartah!"

Chinatsu, mirroring her opponent's tactics, threw her cube-shaped bakugan trap onto the battlefield. "Come Bakugan Trap: Fencer!"

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1450 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250**

"You're looking for a death wish if you send out your bakugan trap" Amy said. "Don't you remember what happened the last time both our bakugan were on the battlefield?"

"This time it's going to be different" Chinatsu said. "**Ability Activate! Sword Ravager!**" Fencer's sword began to glow white as he charged towards Chartah. However, despite his best efforts, Chartah's was able to dodge his swings, in the end just tiring himself out.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1050 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250**

"Now it's our turn. Gate card, open! **Pyrus Arena!**" Amy shouted as the ground beneath them began to rumble before streams of lava shot out from the ground, forming a ring of lava around them.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1250 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250**

**Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon!**" Streams of fire were released from Chartah's spots as she sprinted towards Fencer, the flames wrapping around her frame as she spun around, leaving a trail of glass behind her due to the intensity of the flames. Chartah smashing into Fencer—who had just managed to put his shield up to defend himself, lessening the damage from the blow.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1520 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050**

"Now, Lazuli-san. **Ability Activate! Soft Paws!**" Lazuli's ran towards Chartah, her palms covered in a yellow aura as she threw a number of palm attacks at the Pyrus Bakugan Trap, before finishing off with a strong kick to the ribs, sending her tumbling towards Streak-Blazer's position.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1320 Lazuli/Fencer: 1250**

"Playing dirty now, huh? Then I guess we'll just have to do the same" Streak-Blazer said.

"**Ability Activate! Infinite Blaze!**" Streak-Blazer was covered in a fiery aura, which she began to channel into her palms, forming a gigantic fireball. Letting out a fierce battle cry, she released the fireball from her grasp, sending it straight towards Lazuli. The attack brought the combined power levels of Lazuli and Fencer down to 850Gs.

"Not so fast. **Ability Activate! Emperor's Shield!**" Fencer jumped in front of Lazuli, erecting a yellow hexagonal barrier around them just before the fireball hit, rendering the attack useless while also bringing their Gs back up to 1250Gs. However, just as soon as the barrier dropped, Chartah lunged towards the two Haos bakugan.

"Surprise! **Ability Activate! Dragon's Roar!**" Chartah grinned before letting out a fierce roar, red shockwaves shooting spewing out her mouth.

"LAZULI-SAN! FENCER!" Chinatsu shouted in horror as the shockwaves grew in size, hitting their intended targets as the attack sent them skidding backwards.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1620 Lazuli/Fencer: 1050**

"Keep them coming, Amy" Streak-Blazer grinned.

"Who said I was going to stop? **Ability Card Activate! Poison Fang!**" Streak-Blazer shot forward, sinking her purple aura-encased fangs into Lazuli's neck before she had a chance to recover from the previous attack, poisoning her.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1850 Lazuli/Fencer: 850**

"LAZULI-SAN!"Chinatsu said as she rushed towards her fallen partner.

"C-Chinatsu, stay calm and keep your head in the g-game. We n-need to destroy the g-gate card first before w-we do anything e-else" Lazuli said as she struggled to get to her feet. Chinatsu nodded, just barely holding back the tears in her eyes.

"Okay, Lazuli-san. **Ability Activate! Chi Block!**" Lazuli—despite being weakened from the last attack, adding to the fact that she was also poisoned—got to her feet, her palms glowing yellow as she thrust her palms to the ground, shattering the gate card beneath her.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1320 Lazuli/Fencer: 850**

"Fencer, are you ready?" Lazuli said, earning a nod from the Bakugan Trap.

"Now the real fun begins" Streak-Blazer said, a sadistic grin forming on her face.

"**Double Ability Activate! Electro Slash plus Sword Ravager!**" Chinatsu said. Lazuli ran towards Streak-Blazer, her claws growing longer and surrounded in electric sparks as she swung her claws wildly at the Pyrus bakugan. However, due to the poison currently coursing her body, she was significantly slower, allowing Streak-Blazer to easily dodge her blows. On the other side, Fencer was swinging his sword at Chartah, hoping to land a blow, but ended up with similar results as Chartah dispatched the Haos Bakugan Trap with relative ease.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 620 Lazuli/Fencer: 1150**

"Are you done yet?" Streak-Blazer taunted. "Now that you're done with your little show, it's time so show you true power. Amy, would you kindly do the honours?"

"Don't mind if I do. **Double Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon plus Blazing Fury**" Amy said. Streak-Blazer was concealed in a fiery red aura and Chartah was releasing jets of fire from her spots as they charged into their respective opponents, the latter knocking the Haos Bakugan Trap out of the battle.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1020 Lazuli: 350**

"Lazuli-san!" Chinatsu said, watching her partner get knocked to the ground for the second time that battle.

"Looks like the poison in her bloodstream is beginning to take full effect" Streak-Blazer smirked, folding her arms as her gaze locked onto the Haos bakugan, who was currently struggling to get to her feet.

"It's even a miracle that she's still moving at this point, but I guess your bakugan's got heart. Although, I guess by the next move, your bakugan will be unable to battle judging her current state" Amy added on.

"Lazuli-san, there's no point in trying to continue, the poison is already deep in your body and you can barely stand" Chinatsu said.

"No!" Lazuli said, still trying to get to her feet, but collapsed back to the ground.

"Look at the state you're in. You can barely stand, let alone move. How can you even defeat them if you can't even move?" Chinatsu said, the faint traces of hope dwindling from her mind.

"As long as I'm still on the battlefield, I won't give up. I promised Citra that I'd take care of you, and look at how far we've gone together" Lazuli said, finally finding the strength she needed as she stood up from the sandy ground. "As long as I'm still on this battlefield, there's no way I'm going to let you throw away what we've worked so hard to achieve."

"Lazuli-san…" Chinatsu trailed off as she saw her bakugan take a fighting stance, despite the odds not being in her favour.

"I hate to break up your little love fest, but we have a battle to finish" Streak-Blazer said as Chinatsu got to her feet.

"Don't worry. We're ready" Chinatsu said, the bangs in her hair shadowing her eyes.

"Well, why don't we just wrap this up? **Ability Activate! Phoenix Hell Cannon!**" Chartah rushed forward, the flames that were shooting out of her spots wrapping around her as she spun around, intending to finish the battle right then and there.

**Streak-Blazer/Chartah: 1220 Lazuli: 150**

"**Ability Activate! Frightful Roar!**" Chinatsu said, a determined look in her eyes as she pressed an ability card on the screen. Lazuli let out a loud roar as yellow shockwaves shot out from her mouth, stopping Chartah from her advancements while also knocking her out of the battlefield.

**Streak-Blazer: 950 Lazuli: 600**

"What?! That's not possible! How are you still standing?!" Streak-Blazer said, now showing signs of fear.

_It's because of the bond that Lazuli-san and I share, and the will to keep going even though the odds are against us. It doesn't matter whether we win or lose, but now that we're so close I can't give up now_, Chinatsu thought, letting a small smile form on her lips. Instantly, her glove was engulfed in a bright light, and when the light died down, an ability card died appeared in her hands. However, it wasn't just any ability card. It was a light yellow ability card with a silver trim and yellow tribal markings on the corners of the cards. For some odd reason, Chinatsu knew that the only way she was going to win was through this card.

"**Ability Activate! Saber Overdrive!**" Lazuli felt a burst of power course through her body as she was engulfed in a fierce yellow aura, which made her features become more ferocious. Her claws and canines had grown longer, and she had silver tribal markings all over her body. Growling loudly, she sprinted forward towards Streak-Blazer at unimaginable speeds.

"No, it can't end like this!" Streak-Blazer said as she tried to dodge the incoming blow, but was too slow as Lazuli pierced through her body, knocking her out of the battlefield.

**Streak-Blazer: 550(K.O) Lazuli: 1100**

Lazuli roared triumphantly as she returned to her ball form, landing in her partner's hands. "That was amazing, Chinatsu. Now I truly know why Citra chose me to protect you" Lazuli said, causing Chinatsu to tear up at the compliment.

"There you have it folks. Amy Foster and our winner of the first round, Chinatsu Tanaka!" the announcer said.

**Sorry if this chapter is "a bit" lengthy, but the words just kept flowing through the document, and by the time I was done I realized I had written over 17000 words, and I didn't want to cut it because I already had a cool storyline planned out for Chapter 8. I promise I will try and update frequently because I've put this chapter off for so long. Whether you like it or hate it, you can do all that in the reviews, but until next time, Skyrider is out. Before I forget, here is a list of all the ability cards I had changed for Sentinel:**

**Demonic Ascension-Previously 'Undead Power'**

**Soul Tempest: Final Judgement-Previously 'Ventus Night'**

**Reaper's Void-Previously 'Darkening Glow'**

**Spiral Shatter-'Tornado Missile'**

**Soul Tempest: Leaf Hurricane-Previously 'Angelic Storm' with some changes**


End file.
